Former teammate of lightweight king Islam Makhachev, Josh Thomson, has expressed concerns over Makhachev’s callout of Leon Edwards. Thomson has trained alongside Makhachev for many years at American Kickboxing Academy, which has also been Makhachev’s home for almost a decade.
After Leon Edwards’ victory over Colby Covington at UFC 296, Makhachev boasted that he could finish both welterweights if given the opportunity to face them. With Islam Makhachev being one of the largest lightweights in the UFC, a move to welterweight wouldn’t be surprising. However, Thomson feels that Edwards’ skills could present significant challenges for Makhachev. In a recent episode of the Weighing In podcast, Thomson discussed the potential fight, highlighting Edwards’ speed, takedown ability, and the threat he poses on the ground.
Thomson continued to analyze the fight, stressing that the Dagestani wrestling style, while strong, might struggle against Edwards’ speed, accuracy, and diverse kicking arsenal. He acknowledged the type of wrestling Makhachev employs is unique but believes the fight would be difficult for him.
In recent news, Makhachev has called for a fight before Ramadan in March, as he will be unable to compete during the month of fasting. He recently defended his belt against Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 294, finishing the fight with a powerful head kick. Makhachev has stated his intention to fight three times in 2024 and hopes to have a match scheduled for March.
It is speculated that Justin Gaethje may be Makhachev’s next opponent, but with headlining fights already set for the first three pay-per-view events of 2024 – UFC 297, UFC 298, and UFC 299 – it seems unlikely that the two lightweights will face off in March.
