Speaking about the rise of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to the first place in the promotion rankings outside the weight categories, Russian fighter Oleg Taktarov said that this does not affect anything. His words guide the way “Sports Express”.
“Is Makhachev at the top of the UFC rankings outside of weight categories? What does this affect, other than the online conversations of children with acne? Personally, I expect two more belts from Makhachev in other categories. “He is capable of doing this, it will take five years at most,” Taktarov said.
On October 21, Makhachev scored an early victory over Alex Volkanovski in the main fight of the evening at the UFC 294 tournament in Abu Dhabi. The Russian player defeated his opponent by knockout in the first round and defended his title for the second time. Despite this victory, Makhachev could not top the rankings, but rose from third to second place, behind John Johnson. Russians took first place in the updated UFC rankings. Australian Volkanovski remained third.
The Russian player, who earned approximately $2 million by winning the UFC 294 tournament, currently has 25 victories in 26 fights.
On February 12, 2023, Makhachev defeated Alex Volkanovski by unanimous decision after five rounds at UFC-284. This was the Russian’s first title defence.
Previously Islam Makhachev reported to its popularity.