Dana White unsure of Islam Makhachev’s next opponent ahead of UFC 294: ‘I have no idea’
UFC president, Dana White has failed to shed light on the future of current lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev – claiming he is unsure if the victor of this weekend’s UFC 289 fight between Charles Oliveira, and Beneil Dariush will earn a shot at gold.
Makhachev, the current undisputed lightweight champion, managed to land his first successful defense of the title at UFC 284 back in February in Perth, Australia – defeating his featherweight champion counterpart in a close unanimous decision triumph.
Winning vacant lightweight spoils last October, Islam Makhachev snapped the division-best 12-fight winning run of the above-mentioned former titleholder, Oliveira in Abu Dhabi, UAE – submitting the Brazilian with a second round rear-naked choke.
Dana White unsure on Islam Makhachev’s future
Expected to return to the Octagon at UFC 294 in October in the promotion’s return to the Middle East, Makhachev has yet to he officially booked for the pay-per-view event.
And despite many billing this weekend’s UFC 289 co-main event between Oliveira and Dariush as a title-eliminator, White appears unsold.
“I have no idea,” Dana White told assembled media at the UFC 289 press conference, regarding Oliveira’s and Dariush’s chances of fighting Makhachev with a win. “We’ll see how the fight goes on Saturday night but, yeah, it obviously makes a lot of sense.”
“Right here, right now, makes a lot of sense,” White explained. “We’ll see what happens.”
Furthermore, beyond this weekend’s clash between Oliveira and Dariush, next month’s UFC 291 rematch between former undisputed lightweight champions, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje have been tipped to potentially fight Makhachev next, with a resounding performance in Salt Lake City, Utah.
