LAS VEGAS — The UFC’s lightweight division is filled with elite talent. Champion Charles Oliveira will defend against Justin Gaethje in May, and if he gets through that successfully, he’ll most likely face Islam Makhachev next.
Makhachev’s dominance is impossible to overlook at this point. Former champion Conor McGregor is lobbying for a title shot, but if McGregor, coming off back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier and with a 1-3 record in his last four, gets a shot it would render the title essentially meaningless.
It would be a farce if McGregor, or any other lightweight, were to leapfrog Makhachev and fight the Oliveira-Gaethje winner.