Islam Makhachev aims for record UFC title defence when he faces late replacement

Article content

Islam Makhachev said he isn’t concerned with being known as the greatest lightweight of all time, but does value setting records and earning his way into the UFC Hall of Fame.

He has a chance to do something Saturday night in Inglewood, California, that no other fighter in his division has ever accomplished — successfully defend his belt four times. Four others have done it three times.

And if he does that, Makhachev puts himself in lightweight GOAT status.

“I swear I never think about that,” Makhachev said.

Standing in his way is 10th-ranked challenger Renato Moicano. He is a late-hour replacement for top-ranked challenger Arman Tsarukyan, who pulled out of the bout Friday because “of significant back pain” related to an injury, UFC CEO Dana White announced on X.

Makhachev — the UFC’s top-ranked fighter — is one of three fighters who will enter the Octagon from the same Russian gym. Umar Nurmagomedov will try to win the bantamweight championship in the co-main event and Tagir Ulanbekov will compete in a flyweight match.

“This is the biggest night for the team,” Makhachev said.

Makhachev, 33, takes a 26-1 record into the fight that includes a division-record 14-match winning streak. He claimed his first championship Oct. 22, 2022, in a second-round submission of Charles Oliveira. Makhachev since twice defended his title against Alexander Volkanovski and once against Dustin Poirier.

Two of those fights ended before the final bell, and the one that went the distance — the first meeting with Volkanovski — was a unanimous decision.

Tsarukyan said he had been waiting for this opportunity since Makhachev became the champion, hoping that one day he would get his shot. He knew he had some work to do first, working his way up from around a No. 10 ranking.

Now he will have more work and waiting ahead of him.

Moicano, a 35-year-old from Brazil, is 20-5-1 with six victories in his past seven matches. That includes a four-bout winning streak, three of them ending by submission or technical knockout.

“Moicano’s been on a tear since moving up to 155 pounds,” White said in his video announcement. “The guy is an absolute savage, and every fight he’s in is a war. He weighed in at championship weight as the backup in case something happened, and when we spoke to him this morning, I can tell you, he wants this fight.

“And when I called Islam, Islam said, ‘Brother, I am the champion. I don’t care who it is. I will fight anyone.”‘

Moicano posted on X: “Hey guess what I will be world champion tomorrow!”