Islam Makhachev was declared the winner at UFC 302 after submitting veteran Dustin Poirier in the fifth round. Following his victory, the lightweight champion proceeded to challenge his next opponent.
Dana White appointed Poirier as the newest contender for Makhachev’s championship belt while the previous interim champion pursued a chance at securing undisputed UFC gold.
The two men participated in lively back-and-forth banter before the fight, ultimately resulting in a fierce face-off at their UFC 302 press conference.
Throughout fight week, Poirier acknowledged multiple times that retirement was on the horizon for the 35-year-old as he accepted the reality that his time in the sport was coming to an end.
Despite this, ‘The Diamond’ went into his main event fight against Makhachev with the same daring attitude that he had shown in his previous 38 fights throughout his impressive MMA career.
As soon as the match started, Poirier effectively defended Makhachev’s takedowns, and even managed to land some impressive strikes while standing.
Despite Poirier’s efforts, the unrelenting Russian technician maintained a fast pace and refused to let him catch his breath.
As the fifth and final round of the fight began, the challenger launched a final attack, but Makhachev was able to counter it and gain control of his opponent’s back.
As Makhachev’s team flooded into the octagon to celebrate, Poirier was forced to tap out due to the reigning lightweight champion’s successful execution of a D’Arce choke.
Islam Makhachev wins by Power D’arce. Slick transition from arm guillotine. Main event did not disappoint. pic.twitter.com/Ep3TbYdBox
— Jack Krucial – The Combat Therapist🥷🏽武 (@CombatTherapist) June 2, 2024
In his usual Makhachev style, the 26-1 fighter graciously accepted his victory, offering a pat on the back to Poirier and acknowledging him as a legend in the UFC.
After exchanging pleasantries, Joe Rogan inquired with Makhachev about his desired next opponent.
Islam Makhachev challenges Leon Edwards for next fight
Makhachev responded by challenging UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards to a champion vs champion super fight.
“Makhachev expressed to Rogan that his dream is to fight for a second belt and experience the same level of energy again.”
The act of defending your belt is not equivalent to obtaining a new one. Therefore, I am in need of a replacement.
Islam Makhachev wants to challenge for the UFC Welterweight Championship! 🏆pic.twitter.com/rzvlsLUjwp
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) June 2, 2024
Currently, Edwards is scheduled to put his 170-pound title on the line against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 in Manchester, England, towards the end of this year.
Despite not having suffered a defeat in almost ten years, Edwards remains the third-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC.
If he is able to successfully defend his belt against Muhammad, a highly anticipated matchup between Makhachev and Edwards would be added to the list of most anticipated fights in UFC history.
White may not shock anyone by pitting the two champions against each other, but a previous opponent of Makhachev feels that he deserves a rematch before that happens.
Arman Tsarukyan’s Desire for a Rematch with Makhachev
Arman Tsarukyan and the champion had an amicable relationship, especially since Tsarukyan’s debut in the UFC against Makhachev in 2019.
Even though Tsarukyan put up a strong fight, Makhachev narrowly secured a unanimous decision victory in the “Fight of the Night,” leaving his opponent with a tough challenge.
Nevertheless, the once amicable relationship eventually turned sour, resulting in intense exchange of insults in the following years.
As UFC 302 drew near, Tsarukyan persisted in his calls for a title shot against Makhachev, a sentiment that remained unchanged in the immediate aftermath.
Tsarukyan congratulated Islam on X, but advised him not to consider switching to another division.
“You have only defended your title once against a lightweight fighter, and I am the next challenger in line.”
Despite not garnering as much attention as a champion vs champion fight, a Tsarukyan rematch against Makhachev is still significant and the Armenian fighter has a valid argument.
Ever since his victory over Charles Oliveira in Oct. 2022, Makhachev has faced off against former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski twice, emerging victorious on both occasions.
However, Makhachev’s bout against Poirier marked the division’s inaugural proper title defense, and White is notorious for strictly adhering to such matters.
The CEO of the UFC declared during the post-fight press conference for UFC 302 that the next matchup between Makhachev and Tsarukyan is highly probable and the most anticipated “fight to make”.
🚨| Dana White says he believes Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan is the fight to make next, however, he did not rule out letting Islam have a shot at welterweight gold.#UFC302 pic.twitter.com/eWlFGLRqvW
— MMA Orbit (@mma_orbit) June 2, 2024
Regardless of the outcome, Makhachev has made clear his desire to become a two-weight champion. It is now in the hands of UFC matchmakers to determine the next step for the champion.
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