Islam Makhachev
Last November, Islam Makhachev made history and extended his legacy in MMA. The Russian dominated and defeated Jack Della Maddalena, capturing the welterweight belt and entering the select group of champions in two different divisions in the UFC.
Waiting for the Call
Since then, much was speculated about who will be the first challenger to the Dagestani’s belt, and everything seems to indicate that Dana White has not yet defined it.
With various fight announcements, Ian Garry, Kamaru Usman, and Michael Morales continue waiting to obtain their longed-for title chance. Even the Irishman hinted that he would face the champion after publishing a series of wrestling workouts on a visit to Georgia.
Healing Hand, Unknown Future
Despite being in a great phase and being in the second position of the rankings, the UFC president ignored that and maintains the mystery over the next fight of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s pupil
“Makhachev is recovering from an injury in his hand. So when he is ready, we are going to decide what is next for him,” White said at the press conference after UFC London, held on Saturday afternoon.
Despite not having a return date, the welterweight champion seems to be recovering little by little the rhythm of the trainings. This Monday morning, the Russian published a video on his social networks showing his preparation for his return to the octagon.
Training Video Sparks Debate
In the video, the champion performs a series of punch combinations on the heavy bag, with no evidence of feeling discomfort in his knuckles. Although he is known for his great grappling ability, he has acceptable striking with knockout victories over Alexander Volkanovski and Gleison Tibau.
Afterward, he performed an intense weightlifting workout, followed by a physical conditioning routine. The details of each exercise can be seen on his social media.
The video did not go unnoticed by fans following Dana White’s comments, drawing various criticisms. Despite that, it only remains to wait and see when and where his first title defense as welterweight champion will be.
