Dana White’s Bold Statement Regarding Islam Makhachev and Oliveira
Dana White, the CEO of the world-renowned Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has made yet another bold statement that has stirred up the MMA world. During the post-bout press conference following the Justin Gaethje and Islam Makhachev fight on October 24th 2020, White made it clear that Makhachev’s next opponent is likely to be Charles Oliveira.
The statement White made has come as a surprise to many, as it was only a few days prior that Makhachev’s manager Ali Abdelaziz called out former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and stated that the Russian fighter is willing to take on former world champion Anthony Pettis. This call out should have been enough to preoccupy Makhachev and his manager, yet White’s statement has forced them both to consider yet another opponent.
White’s statement wasn’t only made for the purpose of stirring up the MMA world, it was also made with the specific intention of inspiring theTwitterverse to share their thoughts and opinions on the statement. Since the statement was released, the Twitterverse has been abuzz with MMA fans debating and discussing who they would prefer for Makhachev’s next opponent. Unsurprisingly, the majority of fans are hoping for a Pettis-Nurmagomedov bout.
The bout between the two Lightweights, Gaethje and Makhachev, which took place in Abu Dhabi on Fight Island, was met with much expectation and anticipation. It was a back and forth fight that saw Gaethje dominate in the first round, but Makhachev fight back in the second.
The final result was in Makhachev’s favour as he submitted Gaethje in the third round with a rear-naked choke. After the fight, White complimented Makhachev on the performance and stated that he is the “real deal”.
Subsequent to the fight, Makhachev took to social media to challenge Nurmagomedov to a fight and stated, “Change your mind”, in reference to Nurmagomedov’s recent retirement from MMA.
Oliveira, who is a top-ranked lightweight, has not yet responded to White’s statement. However, the Brazilian fighter is sure to be in high spirits after his victorious defeat of former UFC interim champion Tony Ferguson in the main event of the same fight card.
Oliveira’s victory over Ferguson has been praised by many in the MMA community, and despite not being an official title-holder, the media have already labeled him the “unofficial lightweight champion”.
Despite all the back and forth between White, Makhachev and Nurmagomedov, White’s statement will have an impact on the future of the lightweight division. It remains to be seen what will come of this and whether White’s statement will ultimately come true.
White is known for his bold decisions and statements, and this latest one is no different. Time will tell if Makhachev’s next opponent will indeed be Oliveira, or if the winner of the anticipated upcoming bout between Nurmagomedov and Pettis will be Makhachev’s future opponent.
No matter who the opponent turns out to be, it will surely be an exciting battle, providing MMA fans and enthusiasts around the world with an unmissable fight night of high-level MMA action.
