Dricus Du Plessis was not impressed by what he saw at UFC 294.
No. 2-ranked lightweight contender Justin Gaethje, however, was quick to laud the performance from reigning 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev, who ended his Alexander Volkanovski rivalry with a thunderous first-round head kick that sent “The Great” back down to featherweight.
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“I’m next,” Gaethje wrote on Twitter. “Heck of a performance by Islam. I have a mountain to climb.”
And another lightweight contender to leapfrog.
Volkanovski earned a spot on the Oct. 21 fight card in Abu Dhabi when Makhachev’s original opponent, Charles Oliveira, was busted open in training camp, leading to a last-minute withdrawal. “Do Bronx” may be willing to yield to Gaethje — despite topping “The Highlight” at UFC 274 — if the promotion can secure this big-money fight.
Assuming “King Kong” is not available.
“Listen, you got to give it to Oliveira,” UFC CEO Dana White said at the UFC 294 post-fight press conference. “He was ready to go. Unfortunately he got cut. I think you give it to Oliveira. When we get home, we’ll figure this stuff out and see what’s next for everybody. Do we have plans for (Dustin) Poirier and Gaethje? Yeah, of course we do. We have plans for everybody.”
Makhachev, 31, improved to 25-1 with the victory and is now tied for the third longest win streak in UFC history following his thirteenth consecutive win. The promotion will have to wait for doctors to clear Oliveira — who was defeated by Makhachev at UFC 280 — before signing off on their inevitable rematch.
“I never choose,” Makhachev said after the fight. “Dana, you have some job. Give me someone.”
For complete UFC 294 results, coverage and highlights click HERE.