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Islam Makhachev weighs in on Justin Gaethje's MMA future

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3 months ago

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Islam Makhachev weighs in on Justin Gaethje's MMA future
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UFC champion Islam Makhachev has given his thoughts on the future of the new lightweight king Justin Gaethje.

At UFC Freedom 250, Justin Gaethje shocked the world and became the new undisputed UFC lightweight champion. He achieved this goal by forcing Ilia Topuria to quit on the stool, capping off what has been an incredible rollercoaster ride to the top of the division across the last ten years.

RELATED: Justin Gaethje says Arman Tsarukyan is far more deserving of title shot than Ilia Topuria: “He's not fighting me nextâ€

Now, many are questioning what exactly is left for Gaethje to accomplish in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Some want to see him compete for as long as he physically can, whereas others feel like retirement would be a solid option given the punishment he has put his body through over the years.

In a recent interview, Islam Makhachev weighed in on the Gaethje debate.

Makhachev discusses Gaethje's future

“I don't know. I think this guy make like enough in this sport,†Makhachev told MMA Junkie of Gaethje. “He became UFC champion. He also has many records. What's next for him? If I'm matchmaker, I don't know honestly. But this guy is not in good shape right now. I saw him last week. I said, ‘Hey, why you become fat?' He's just enjoying the belt. He deserves it.â€

“I said before that fight, Justin is a warrior,†Makhachev said. “He's going to fight. You have to knock him out to stop him. This guy is going to fight all rounds. Maybe Topuria a little bit underestimated him. I don't know. It is what it is. This is MMA, small gloves, and very dangerous sport.â€

Quotes via MMA Junkie

What do you believe should be next for Justin Gaethje in his mixed martial arts career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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MMA

Petr Yan says hes figured out Merab Dvalishvili before UFC 333

Published

45 minutes ago

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October 25, 2026

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Petr Yan says he's 'figured out' Merab Dvalishvili before UFC 333
Petr
Yan believes he has figured out Merab
Dvalishvili ahead of their trilogy bout.

Yan is scheduled to defend his
Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title against
Dvalishvili at
UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Their series
is tied 1-1, but Yan expects to replicate his commanding
performance in their rematch.

Petr Yan expects another dominant showing against Merab
Dvalishvili in UFC 333 title trilogy

Dvalishvili overwhelmed Yan with his wrestling to win their first
meeting by unanimous decision in 2023. Yan reversed the result in
their December 2025 title rematch, repeatedly defending takedowns
and landing effective strikes to reclaim the championship by
unanimous decision.

“No Mercy†expects another strong showing in their rubber
match.

“We definitely have enough information downloaded from the time we
spent together in the Octagon,†Yan said in a pre-fight interview.
“But the second victory, obviously, was very dominant. I've figured
him out and I'm gonna do whatever I can to this time bring the same
type of victory and even open new layers which we haven't seen
yet.â€

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MMA

Alexander Volkanovski explains why he’s a ‘nightmare matchup’ for Movsar Evloev

Published

13 hours ago

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October 24, 2026

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Alexander Volkanovski explains why he’s a ‘nightmare matchup’ for Movsar Evloev
Alexander
Volkanovski is confident he'll become the first fighter to
defeat Movsar
Evloev.

Volkanovski (28-4) will defend his
Ultimate Fighting Championship featherweight title against
Evloev (20-0) at
UFC 333 on Oct. 24 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The champion
believes he presents a “nightmare†stylistic matchup for the
unbeaten Russian.

Alexander Volkanovski explains why Movsar Evloev’s grappling
may fail him in UFC 333 title fight

Ahead of their title clash, Volkanovski explained that Evloev
relies on his wrestling to escape difficult situations. The
Australian champion believes his own grappling skills will deny the
challenger that fallback option.

“I think it just doesn't end well for him,†Volkanovski said in a
pre-fight interview. “I don't mean it in any bad way. I just think
I'm the guy to take that zero from him. He's got incredible skill.
He is very effective with what he does… Every time he's had
problems, he could rely on that wrestling and grappling to get him
out of trouble. And you’ve got to respect that skill. But that
doesn't work with me. That's not a get out of jail free card with
me. When you're panicking, when you're freaking out, you don't get
to just grab hold of me and hang on to a leg or anything like that…
I just think that I'm a bit of a nightmare matchup for him.â€

Volkanovski has demonstrated his defensive wrestling in previous
appearances, including his competitive first bout against Islam
Makhachev, who tops the UFC's men's pound-for-pound rankings.
He has never been submitted in 32 professional fights.

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MMA

Alexander Volkanovski stops Movsar Evloev with barrage of shots to defend title in UFC 333 main event

Published

15 hours ago

on

October 24, 2026

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Alexander Volkanovski stops Movsar Evloev with barrage of shots to defend title in UFC 333 main event

Alexander Volkanovski is still the greatest after his latest title defense as he ended Movsar Evloev's undefeated run with a second-round stoppage in the UFC 333 main event.

As usual, Volkanovski showed off tremendous takedown defense and immaculate striking as he picked Evloev apart on the feet. Finally in the second round, Volkanovski put together a combination of punches that put Evloev down and the Australian finished with a barrage of shots on the ground.

The end came at 4:54 in the second round.

“He's a great figher,†Volkanovski said after his latest title defefnse. “He was undefeated for a reason but I just said I'm the right guy for that job. I knew the ref would have to stop it when he covered up like that.

“I'm choosing to do this. I said if I didn't take too much damage, we probably keep going so maybe we keep going. I feel the love and it's paid off now. The love around the world is incredible.â€

After tasting defeat for the first time, Evloev was understandably upset but he paid homage to Volkanovski on a job well done.

“It was a terrible fight,†Evloev said. “He's a good one. Older, stronger, better, he's truly a legend. I'm grateful for this opportunity to be here. Alex, great champion, I'm happy to be here to share the cage with him.â€

Volkanovski started fast with a series of inside leg kicks and then peppering Evloev with a series of stiff jabs. Evloev then exploded forward with a takedown but Volkanovski bounced back up almost immediately.

Volkanovski continued with his forward pressure before countering another takedown as kept working on the feet. Evloev was undeterred though, as he kept battling to drag the champion to the ground.

Evloev grabbed onto the body lock to open round two and literally dragged Volkanovski to the canvas but the champion reversed positions to land on top. From there, Volkanovski laned some ground and pound before Evloev escaped back to his feet.

Volkanovski then uncorked a well-timed overhand right that seemingly wobbled Evloev momentarily.

Late in the round, Volkanovski connected with a nasty combination of punches that had Evloev turning away to avoid the damage as a cut opened up on the head.

Evloev eventually faded as he fell to the ground following a blistering left hand from Volkanovski and the champion took full advantage of the opening. With Evloev hurt, Volkanovski just unleashed a barrage of shots to finish the fight.

That makes three straight wins for Volkanovski in championship fights and his seond straight title defense since reclaiming the featherweight belt. He obviously indicated that he plans to continue fighting and it's soon going to be difficult not to declare Volkanovski as the greatest featherweight of all-time, if he hasn't already taken that crown.

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