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#4. Justin Gaethje vs. Islam Makhachev
Justin Gaethje has not fought since losing to Islam Makhachev's mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254. That will change this weekend when he takes on Michael Chandler at UFC 268.
Following that fight, perhaps we could see 'The Highlight' take on Makhachev. A bout against Gaethje would be a great indicator of just how close Makhachev has come to replicating the level Khabib displayed during his unbeaten tenure.
Gaethje was able to turn in a solid first round. He hurt Khabib with his leg kicks, and that could give him a blueprint to follow against Makhachev.
In his fight against 'The Eagle', Gaethje was able to maintain separation from Nurmagomedov and strike from the outside. While he couldn't keep it up on that occasion, it doesn't seem unlikely that he may be able to against Makhachev, particularly if it were to be a three-round fight.
Gaethje will have learned from his experiences inside the octagon against 'The Eagle'. Also, a shorter bout would mean that he has more energy to expend defending takedowns, which seemed to be a problem for him in the Khabib fight.
#3. Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev
While it may seem a little odd that the current lightweight champion is only #3 on this list, this purely comes down to who matches up best against Makhachev's distinctive style in a division loaded with talent.
Charles Oliveira has long been known for his excellent jiu-jitsu skills and submission holds. Recently, he has also displayed a much-improved stand-up game. We saw that in his championship-winning victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 262.
Thanks to this varied skill set, Oliveira has multiple ways to win a fight with Makhachev. Oliveira would have the advantage on the feet, and should he get taken down, he could still be dangerous with his submissions.
However, Islam Makhachev's knack for securing the takedown could provide issues for the current champion. He is also a talented enough grappler that he may be able to avoid any attempted submission attempts and dominate proceedings on the ground.
