Islam Makhachev has expressed that he doesn’t focus on gaining recognition as the greatest lightweight fighter of all time, but he does treasure the idea of breaking records and making his way into the UFC Hall of Fame.
With an opportunity to achieve something that no fighter in his division has done before—successfully defending his title four times—he is preparing for a matchup in Inglewood, California, this Saturday night. While four other fighters have defended their belts three times, accomplishing this feat would solidify Makhachev’s position in the discussion of lightweight greatness.
“I honestly never think about that,” Makhachev stated regarding the GOAT conversation.
His upcoming opponent is 10th-ranked Renato Moicano, who stepped in as a last-minute replacement for top contender Arman Tsarukyan. Tsarukyan had to withdraw from the fight due to “significant back pain” stemming from an injury, a decision announced by UFC CEO Dana White on X.
As the UFC’s top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Makhachev will be part of a unique situation as he shares the Octagon with two other fighters from his Russian gym. In the co-main event, Umar Nurmagomedov is contending for the bantamweight title, while Tagir Ulanbekov will be facing off in a flyweight fight.
“This marks the biggest night for our team,” Makhachev declared.
At 33 years old, Makhachev brings a remarkable record of 26 wins and 1 loss to the fight, which includes a division-record 14-fight winning streak. He first captured the championship on October 22, 2022, when he secured a second-round submission victory over Charles Oliveira. Since then, Makhachev has successfully defended his title twice against Alexander Volkanovski and once against Dustin Poirier.
Notably, two of those title defenses concluded before the final bell, and his bout that did go the full distance—against Volkanovski—was decided by unanimous decision.
Tsarukyan had been eagerly anticipating a title shot ever since Makhachev became the champion and knew he had to climb the ranks before he could challenge for the belt, starting his journey from around the No. 10 position.
Now, he faces further waiting and additional work ahead.
Moicano, a 35-year-old competitor from Brazil, holds a record of 20 wins, 5 losses, and 1 draw, with six victories in his last seven fights. This includes a four-fight winning streak, with three of those wins coming by way of submission or technical knockout.
“Moicano has been on an impressive run since moving up to 155 pounds,” White mentioned in his video announcement. “He’s a true warrior, and every fight he participates in turns into a battle. He weighed in at championship weight as a backup and expressed a strong desire to seize this opportunity during our morning conversation.”
“When I called Islam, he told me, ‘Brother, I am the champion. I’m ready to fight anyone,’” White added.
Moicano took to X to share his enthusiasm, posting, “Hey, guess what? I will be the world champion tomorrow!”
