Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) recently booked an important lightweight showdown with serious title implications for the upcoming UFC 267 pay-per-view (PPV) event, sending top streaking contender Islam Makhachev into battle opposite former 155-pound champion Rafael Dos Anjos on Oct. 30 on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
That’s according to ESPN.
Makhachev (20-1) has captured eight straight wins in the lightweight division, which includes his submission victory over Thiago Moises just last month in Las Vegas. The performance pushed the Dagestani bruiser — the protege of former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov — to No. 5 in the 155-pound rankings.
That’s two spots above the 30-13 Dos Anjos (No. 7), who is also coming off a victory his last time out. The 36 year-old Brazilian captured a split-decision win over Paul Felder in “Sin City” but has struggled to stay consistent, putting together a 5-5 record since coughing up his lightweight title to Eddie Alvarez in summer 2016.
This marks the promotion’s third attempt to book Makhachev vs. Dos Anjos.
UFC 267 is expected to be headlined by the light heavyweight title fight pitting Jan Blachowicz against Glover Teixeira. Elsewhere on the card, Khamzat Chimaev makes his Octagon return opposite welterweight mainstay Li Jingliang while heavyweight hurters Walt Harris and Tai Tuivasa hook ‘em up at 265 pounds.