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We are soon expecting a lightweight championship rematch between Islam Makhachev (24-1 MMA, 13-1 UFC) and Brazilian Charles Oliveira at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. We remind you that Makhachev won the first match. Makhachev expressed his desire to hold 2 belts in case he beats Oliveira in their rematch.
He wants to take the belt in welterweight as well, now he is waiting for the results of the match that will take place before the end of the year at UFC 296 between Leon Edwards and Colby Covington for the champion of the welterweight division.
This extremely talented Russian hopes that Covington will win and that he will agree to a match with him for the champion of the welterweight division. Covington doesn't think Makhachev is serious. He claims that Makhachev only wants to raise hype before his fight, but he won't actually go into the ring against him.
“You know, he’s just saying that to get a headline,” Covington told Submission Radio. “He ain’t really going to come out here and fight. He’s another guy that he’s going to run his mouth, try and hype up a fight, but he’s never going to actually step up and do it.
Khabib (Nurmagomedov) did the same thing. So, they know that American wrestling is the best. That Sambo don’t work. He would get worked like any day of the week in grappling or wrestling in America. He’s over there, you know, playing with sheep, doing his thing over there.
“But that stuff doesn’t work. And yeah, it’s worked on guys in the lightweight class when you can just muscle them around. These are little kids. These are little boys. And none of them wrestle anyway. So now you got a real American wrestler, raw American steel, the highest regard.
He knows what would happen. He could keep saying that he wants to fight, but I think when pen comes to paper, his manager’s going to hide him from me”. as quoted by MMAJunkie