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After claiming his first-ever UFC title, Islam Makhachev was confronted in the octagon by Alexander Volkanovski. Khabib Nurmagomedov called out the Aussie during Makhachev's post-fight interview. Volkanovski seemed more than willing to accept Nurmagomedov's proposal to fight Makhachev in his backyard in Australia.
Their post-fight confrontation has set the matchup brewing, but Josh Thomson believes the 145lbs king is "gonna get smashed."
Despite battling against doubters as he headed into UFC 280, the Russian silenced all the naysayers with a stellar performance. The 31-year-old was better than Charles Oliveira everywhere - knocking him down with strikes before finishing him with a beautiful submission.
Discussing a potential Makhachev-Volkanovski bout on his podcast, Thomson insisted that the new lightweight champion will make light work of his smaller opponent:
"That's not a great fight, he's [Alexander Volkanovski] gonna get smashed. He's not gonna outwrestle him, he'll hit him with the speed, so the hands might be a problem in the beginning. As soon as Islam gets his hands on him, it's not gonna be good for him. We saw a little bit with the Brian Ortega [fight], submission wise, he lacks in the defense for the submissions."
Although Thomson is high on Makhachev, fans shouldn't quickly dismiss the threat that Alexander Volkanovski presents to the Dagestani.
His speed and technical prowess style could serve 'The Great' well in the lightweight division. The Australian likes to set traps and cause his opponent to make mistakes, which opens them up to his heavy-handed striking.
Check out what Josh Thomson said in the video below:
What's next for Islam Makhachev following his win at UFC 280?
Islam Makhachev was crowned the new lightweight champion after a dominant display against fan-favorite Charles Oliveira on Saturday. Now the question is - who will he be making his first title defense against?
Khabib Nurmagomedov called out Volkanovski at UFC 280 on Islam Makhachev's behalf. 'The Great' entered the octagon and confronted Makhachev in what seemed like a preview of their potential future face-off.
Watch Nurmagomedov call out Volkanovski below (from 2:55):
It's all but official that Makhachev will head over to Australia to face Alexander Volkanovski in his own backyard. However, there are multiple options waiting for him if the bout against the featherweight doesn't come to fruition.
The frontrunner who would most likely be matched up against Islam Makhachev is the surging Beneil Dariush. Having put on a fantastic performance against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, the 33-year-old has now become an undeniable candidate to fight for the throne. Dariush has now strung together an eight-fight win-streak by defeating the likes of Tony Ferguson, Drew Dober and Thiago Moises.
