Islam Makhachev is on his way to becoming lightweight GOAT, says UFC legend

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev could be on his way to becoming the division’s greatest ever fighter, in the eyes of UFC legend Frankie Edgar.

When it comes to dominant champions in the current era of mixed martial arts, they don’t get much better than Islam Makhachev. While he’s been involved in competitive fights throughout the course of his run in the UFC, he’s been able to pick up the win every single time both when he was a top contender and during his tenure as champion.

Right now, there are plenty of big names who can challenge Islam Makhachev for the title – but as of yet, there’s been no official word regarding who is next up. When you take a bigger step back, though, there’s a wider conversation being had about who the greatest lightweight of all time is.

Makhachev is one of the names in the mix and in Frankie Edgar’s view, he is well on his way to claiming that crown.

Islam Makhachev backed for lightweight GOAT status by Frankie Edgar

“Islam, if he continues on the path he does, you’ve got to give it to him,” Edgar said. “He’s finishing guys. He’s not just defending the title. He’s finishing guys. He probably takes the cake.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Islam Makhachev is seemingly as motivated as he’s ever been to turn back challengers in the lightweight division. Even if it’s Ilia Topuria who is the next man to step up to the plate, we can’t imagine he’s going to be intimidated in any way, shape or form.

All we can hope for is that he continues to compete at the elite level for a long time to come. He has the potential to be one of the best we’ve ever seen, and we should be grateful that we get to watch him.