Islam Makhachev has been on a tear in the lightweight division for years now. His dominant run reached a crescendo in October last year when he submitted Charles Oliveira to win the UFC lightweight title. Four months later, Makhachev defended it against 145 lbs champion Alexander Volkanovski. The Dagestani has been out of action since then.

But now, the champ has revealed the name of his next preferred challenge. In the shark tank that is the UFC 155 lbs division, Makhachev has no shortage of contenders. However, there is one that stands above the rest for the Khabib protégé.

Lightweight star Beneil Dariush has the champion’s attention regardless of his upcoming fight against former champion Charles Oliveira. Regardless of the outcome of this fight, Makhachev has declared his interest in fighting Dariush.

Islam Makhachev wants Beneil Dariush next

Back when Islam Makhachev became the lightweight champion at UFC 280, his team had stated they wanted to stay active. They followed through on their promise by fighting in February at UFC 284. However, he has been out of action since then.

In all probability, his next opponent will be the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Beneil Dariush, which takes place at UFC 289. Nevertheless, Makhachev prefers Dariush over Oliveira to be his next opponent. In an interview, he was giving one-word opinions on fighters. When Dariush’s name came up, Makhachev said, “Next target,” whereas for ‘Do Bronx’ he said “former champion.”

Perhaps, the 31-year-old wants a fresh opponent instead of a rematch with Oliveira. However, he may not get that wish if the Brazilian gets his hand raised on June 10. Makhachev is expected to fight the winner of Dariush vs. Oliveira in October in Abu Dhabi.

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Meanwhile. the lightweight division is getting another exciting bout with Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje running it back at UFC 291 in July. Add to that the return of Conor McGregor against Michael Chandler later this year, and fans have a fun UFC schedule to look forward to.

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Who do you think will be Makhachev’s next opponent? What are your predictions for these upcoming lightweight matchups? Let us know in the comments.