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Russia’s reigning UFC lightweight champion Makhachev to hold next fight before March 11

According to the source, the opponent has not been determined yet

MOSCOW, November 27. /TASS/. Russia’s Islam Makhachev, the reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Champion, plans to hold his next bout by March 11 of next year, a source on the fighter’s team told TASS on Monday.

"Islam [Makhachev] plans on holding his next bout before the [Islamic] holy month of Ramadan; the UFC executives have been already notified of this. His opponent has not been determined yet," the source said.

In 2024, the Muslim holy month of Ramadan begins on March 11.

Makhachev, 31, boasts a record of 25 wins (five by KO/TKO, 11 by submission, nine by decision) and one defeat. His opponent in the most recent bout on October 21 was Australian fighter Alexander "The Great" Volkanovski, 35, who now boasts a career fighting record of 26 wins (13 by KO/TKO, three by submission, 10 by decision) and three defeats.

On October 21, Makhachev and Volkanovski faced off against each other at the UFC 294 tournament in Abu Dhabi, where the Russian defended his championship belt, defeating Volkanovski with a knockout in the opening round.

After the win over Volkanovski late last month, Makhachev climbed to second place in the UFC Pound-for-Pound Top Rankings, which encompass all weight categories of UFC fighters.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the world’s largest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotional event, featuring the world’s top-ranked fighters. Numerous Russian fighters take part in UFC competitions.