For those hoping to see Islam Makhachev return to the Octagon in October, we’ve got some bad news.
The ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ successfully defended his lightweight title at UFC 302 in June, securing a fifth-round submission victory over division staple Dustin Poirier.
Hoping to get one more fight in before the end of 2024, Makhachev was targeting a return at UFC 308 in October when the promotion heads back to Abu Dhabi.
However, that is now in doubt after Makhachev recently revealed he is suffering from a partial ligament tear in his hand that may require surgery, potentially keeping him shelved for the rest of the year.
“After the fight [with Poirier], my fists hurt, a lot of things hurt,” Makhachev told Ushatayka. “We’ll take time. Everything is healing little by little. But my hand continues to bother me. An MRI recently confirmed that I have a partial ligament tear. Let’s see if I can recover. If not, I might even have to have surgery.
“It is questionable [if I will fight at UFC 308]. We haven’t talked about the fight yet. I am doing rehabilitation every day now. And we’ll see how the hand goes” (h/t MMA Junkie).
Arman Tsarukyan may have to wait a little longer for his rematch with Islam makhachev
Though no official announcements had been made, all signs pointed toward top-ranked contender Arman Tsarukyan being the next man in line to challenge Makhachev. ‘Ahalkalakets’ secured his No. 1 ranking at UFC 300 via a split decision victory over ex-champion Charles Oliveira.
Overall, Tsarukyan is 8-2 inside the Octagon with one of his two losses coming in his UFC debut against Makhachev. The Armenian standout has been chomping at the bit to run it back ever since. It certainly looks like he’ll get that chance, but he may have to wait a little longer than expected.