Khabib Nurmagomedov says Islam Makhachev expected to return to defend title in January

Islam Makhachev appears ready to return in the New Year.

That’s the word from Makhachev’s longtime teammate, friend and coach Khabib Nurmagomedov, who revealed plans for the UFC lightweight champion to next defend his title in January against a still unnamed opponent.

“UFC offered us a fight already, in January. We accepted it,” Nurmagomedov revealed during an appearance in Indonesia this past weekend (video provided by Ushatayka).

Nurmagomedov didn’t mention any names, although it’s almost certainly going to be a rematch against No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan.

Tsarukyan cemented himself as the next title challenger after he defeated former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 to extend his winning streak to four in a row. In his octagon debut back in 2019, Tsarukyan actually faced Makhachev and earned a Fight of the Night bonus following a grueling three-round war that ended in Tsarukyan taking a unanimous decision loss.

Now Tsarukyan seeks revenge while attempting to become UFC champion for the first time in his career.

As far as that potential challenge or anybody else coming for Makhachev’s title, Nurmagomedov acknowledged that his 32-year-old prodigy is always going to bring the best out of any opponent because of what he represents.

“Islam is now not only champion but he is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world today,” Nurmagomedov said.

Makhachev hasn’t tasted defeat since his second fight in the UFC — a stunning upset loss to Adriano Martins — and he’s now rattled off a remarkable 14 wins in a row including victories over three former UFC champions and four fighters currently ranked among the top 15 in the UFC’s lightweight division.