At UFC 322, Islam Makhachev made history by becoming a two-division champion after defeating Jack Della Maddalena in a superfight. And once the Dagestani juggernaut achieved the dream he had been chasing, fans immediately began wondering what comes next for him. Right now, a series of potential superfights is lining up for the newly crowned welterweight champ. However, out of all the possibilities, Makhachev wants to test himself against Kamaru Usman.

The 34-year-old legend already called out ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ at the UFC 322 media day. After winning the title, he doubled down on that callout on the About Last Fight podcast, saying, “Today, like two great fighters did like very well. Moraes and Prates. But I still thinking Kamaru can beat them both, and Kamaru is the biggest”. And honestly, this fight could sell out an arena in minutes. Islam Makhachev vs Kamaru Usman would be a legacy fight, and while fans, fighters, and the promotion would gain plenty from it, their manager, Ali Abdelaziz, would seem to benefit the most.  

Ali Abdelaziz pushes for Islam Makhachev vs Kamaru Usman fight 

In an interview with FullSend, the Dominance MMA manager said, “He said that. He said he wants to fight Kamaru Usman. Kamaru Usman has a 15-fight winning streak, 5 title defenses, greatest welterweight of all time. Beating all these young guys, what does that do for his legacy? Don’t do nothing for his legacy. Kamaru Usman is very tough opponent, and I represent him, too. And it’s not an easy night for anybody. Kamaru Usman is the real deal, and he wanna fight the real deal.”  

Now, for the unversed, Ali Abdelaziz has been managing both Makhachev and Usman for a long time and maintains a strong relationship with both fighters. As their manager, the 47-year-old also gets a solid percentage of their pay, usually around 10 to 20%. So if Ali actually secures Makhachev vs Usman as the next fight, he stands to make some serious money. However, this wouldn’t be the first time he’s used this masterful tactic

Abdelaziz notably showed his managerial prowess in a 2019 MMA Fighting interview, where he explained why Justin Gaethje would be a better contender for Khabib Nurmagomedov than Tony Ferguson. Eventually, ‘The Highlight’ ended up piecing up ‘El Cucuy’ at UFC 249, and then went on to face ‘The Eagle’ in his retirement fight at UFC 254. So love him or hate him, the Egyptian native knows how to handle fight situations for maximum benefit. 

Still, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ just got back into the win column by beating Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta, and that might not be enough to earn a title shot. If Usman wants a crack at the belt, he probably needs to go through one or two ranked opponents before challenging Islam for the 170 lbs gold. 

That said, as conversations around Islam Makhachev’s next opponent heat up, with Kamaru Usman and Ilia Topuria currently at the front of the line, a former middleweight champ wants to see two new contenders take their shot at the Dagestani legend for the belt.

Robert Whittaker wants to see the new 170 lbs champion facing Morales or Prates next

In the Madison Square Garden main event, Michael Morales and Carlos Prates emerged as the standout performers of the night. The Ecuadorian star scored a massive first-round knockout over the number-one-ranked welterweight, Sean Brady, while the Brazilian fighter dismantled former welterweight kingpin Leon Edwards in the second round.

With those impressive victories, both 170-pounders have made strong cases to become the next contender for the title. And according to Robert Whittaker, they should be next in line to fight for the gold.

Addressing the dilemma of choosing Islam Makhachev’s next opponent, The Reaper said on the MMArcade podcast, “It’s so hard to say who he fights next because both welterweight fights have put on a spectacle. They put on a show, and honestly, it could be a flip of the coin. Like in a perfect world, in the world of rules and regulations, a higher-ranked guy would get the fight; both guys put on an excellent showing. But what actually happens, who knows? It’s anybody’s guess.”

Well, the former middleweight champion is right to point out that Morales or Prates genuinely deserve a shot at the title next. However, the UFC might lean toward putting Makhachev in a money fight against Ilia Topuria or a legacy showdown with Kamaru Usman instead of matching him with up-and-coming challengers who still lack star power.

That said, what do you think should be the next move for Islam Makhachev’s title defense? Do you want to see him face Kamaru next? Let us know in the comments section below.