UFC lightweight Islam Makhachev is coming off a submission win against Drew Dober at UFC 259. The Russian put on yet another impressive performance in the pay-per-view and has already set his sights on his next fight.

Makhachev wants a quick turnaround, and he is aiming for a July card for a return. Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier are set to complete their trilogy in the summer. And reports suggest that bout can potentially take place on July 10th.

There’s a certain amount of exposure that comes to every fighter when they feature on a McGregor card. Makhachev wants to use that opportunity to make a name for himself.

“Well yes, it’ll be a huge card. I just fought on a stacked card. And when there’s hype around the event, that’s a plus for the fighter,” Makhachev said in a recent interview.

Makhachev is one of the biggest prospects in the lightweight division of the UFC. He is aiming for a fight against former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos next. However, nothing has been made official just yet.

The Dagestani happens to be a long-time teammate of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. And the recently retired Russian fighter has pinned his hopes on Makhachev to carry the pride of Dagestan in the UFC and ultimately capture the 155lbs gold of the promotion.

Can Islam Makhachev become a lightweight champion in the future?

Makhachev trains in the famous American Kickboxing Academy gym. Apart from Nurmagomedov, former UFC champions like Daniel Cormier and Coach Javier Mendez have only had praises for Makhachev.

They believe in his potential and count on him to ultimately become the best lightweight on the planet.

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But he still has a long way to go to achieve that feat. The 155lbs division of the UFC happens to be the most stacked one in all of MMA. It is a shark tank full of killers through and through.

Makhachev is currently ranked #11 in the division. He certainly has what it takes to become a future champion. However, persistent effort is the only way to fulfill his potential.

Will Makhachev be a UFC lightweight champion in near future? Let us know.