UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev's next opponent in October remains uncertain. Former double weight champion and American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) training partner Daniel Cormier believes the choice may catch fans off guard.
"I think Islam Makhachev will next fight against someone that is not even necessarily on our radar," Cormier said during his DC & RC Show on ESPN.
The reason for Cormier's stance is that the top contenders are unavailable for UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. These include Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, who will have a rematch for the "BMF" title at UFC 291 on July 29.
"It's supposed to be the winner of Gaethje vs Poirier, but I do not believe that those guys will come out of that fight clean and be healthy enough to put a title fight right that soon," Cormier said.
Charles Oliveira was also one of the possible contenders for Makhachev's bout, but Cormier said that Oliveira had already told the UFC he would be unavailable in October.
"We're going to have to go down the lightweight rankings and find some other guy, and people are going to be very disappointed," Cormier said. "It'll be the No. 4, 5, or 6 ranked guy that's going to get a title shot because there just will be no one else."
Makhachev calls out Leon Edwards
Makhachev's last Octagon appearance was when he headlined UFC 284 in February, where he defended his lightweight title for the first time. He won unanimously over Alexander Volkanovski, the pound-for-pound number one and reigning featherweight kingpin.
For UFC 294, Makhachev showed interest in challenging welterweight champion Leon Edwards. Cormier, however, expressed skepticism regarding the likelihood of the UFC accepting this matchup.
"I don't know who he's going to fight, but someone's about to get a blessing because there will be no one else," Cormier said. "He will not fight Leon Edwards. I don't think the UFC is going to allow him to be in two title superfights without having to defend the championship one time yet (against a lightweight)."
Edwards previously clinched a majority decision win against Kamaru Usman in March. This victory earned his second consecutive win over the former dominant 170-pound champion.
The Briton, who holds a 12-fight unbeaten streak, is also without a fight booking. UFC officials are working on setting up a bout between him and Colby Covington later this year.
Makhachev's coach weighs in possible opponents
Makachev's coach Javier Mendez has also shared his views on the current possible opponents for his mentee. Mendez discussed the current UFC lightweight division landscape when speaking to MMA Junkie.
While Mendez acknowledged Makhachev's openness to fighting Edwards, the coach also pointed out that a rematch with Oliveira would "make sense."
"I can see the UFC working on Charles because there's no injury there, right? I mean, unless you're injured, unless you have something going on, you only need two months to get ready for a world title fight," Mendez said.
The AKA coach also suggested a title fight against Edwards is possible because Makhachev had previously expressed interest in moving to the welterweight division.
