Islam Makhachev said he isn't concerned with being known as the greatest lightweight of all time, but does value setting records and earning his way into the UFC Hall of Fame.
He has a chance to do something Saturday night in Inglewood, California, that no other fighter in his division has ever accomplished — successfully defend his belt four times. Four others have done it three times.
And if he does that, Makhachev puts himself in lightweight GOAT status.
“I swear I never think about that,” Makhachev said.
Standing in his way is 10th-ranked challenger Renato Moicano. He is a late-hour replacement for top-ranked challenger Arman Tsarukyan, who pulled out of the bout Friday because “of significant back pain” related to an injury, UFC CEO Dana White announced on X.
Makhachev — the UFC's top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter — is one of three fighters who will enter the Octagon from the same Russian gym. Umar Nurmagomedov will try to win the bantamweight championship in the co-main event and Tagir Ulanbekov will compete in a flyweight match.
“This is the biggest night for the team,” Makhachev said.
Makhachev, 33, takes a 26-1 record into the fight that includes a division-record 14-match winning streak. He claimed his first championship Oct. 22, 2022, in a second-round submission of Charles Oliveira. Makhachev since twice defended his title against Alexander Volkanovski and once against Dustin Poirier.
Two of those fights ended before the final bell, and the one that went the distance — the first meeting with Volkanovski — was a unanimous decision.
Tsarukyan said he had been waiting for this opportunity since Makhachev became the champion, hoping that one day he would get his shot. He knew he had some work to do first, working his way up from around a No. 10 ranking.
Now he will have more work and waiting ahead of him.
Moicano, a 35-year-old from Brazil, is 20-5-1 with six victories in his past seven matches. That includes a four-bout winning streak, three of them ending by submission or technical knockout.
“Moicano's been on a tear since moving up to 155 pounds,” White said in his video announcement. "The guy is an absolute savage, and every fight he's in is a war. He weighed in at championship weight as the backup in case something happened, and when we spoke to him this morning, I can tell you, he wants this fight.
“And when I called Islam, Islam said, ‘Brother, I am the champion. I don’t care who it is. I will fight anyone.'”
Moicano posted on X: “Hey guess what I will be world champion tomorrow!”
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
FILE - Islam Makhachev of Russia celebrates after he beats Alex Volkanovski of Australia in the UFC lightweight championship fight during UFC 294, at the Ethihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Oct. 21, 2023. (AP Photo/Kamran Jebreili, File)
LONDON (AP) — U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has told global leaders to “keep the pressure” on Russian President Vladimir Putin to back a ceasefire in Ukraine.
In his opening remarks Saturday to a virtual gathering of what he has termed the “coalition of the willing,” Starmer said Putin will “sooner or later” have to “come to the table.”
Unlike the first summit on March 2, the meeting of what Starmer has termed the “coalition of the willing” is being conducted virtually. The call is expected to delve into how countries can help Ukraine militarily and financially as well as gauging support for any future possible peacekeeping mission.
“If Russia finally comes to the table, then we must be ready to monitor a ceasefire to ensure it is a serious, and enduring peace," Starmer told leaders, in remarks released by his office ahead of the meeting. “If they don’t, then we need to strain every sinew to ramp up economic pressure on Russia to secure an end to this war.”
Like last time, there will be no representative from the United States, which has shifted its approach on the war since the return of President Donald Trump to the White House. The change of approach relative to that taken by Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, became particularly notable after Trump clashed with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Feb. 28 in the Oval Office.
Saturday's meeting takes place in the wake of a U.S. proposal for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine, which Zelenskyy has backed.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has indicated that he supported a truce in principle but has set out a host of details that need to be clarified before agreeing to a ceasefire. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has voiced “cautious optimism” about the possibility of Putin, who met with U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff, on Thursday, backing a ceasefire.
Starmer appears to be less optimistic, and is telling leaders that concrete commitments are required now as Putin plays “pointless games” with Trump’s peace plan.
“Putin is trying to delay, saying there must be a painstaking study before a ceasefire can take place. But the world needs to see action, not a study, or empty words and pointless conditions,” Starmer said. “The Kremlin’s complete disregard for President Trump’s ceasefire proposal only serves to demonstrate that Putin is not serious about peace.”
Starmer has taken the lead, along with French President Emmanuel Macron, in assembling the “coalition of the willing” in part to persuade Trump to maintain support for Kyiv. One outcome has already been a growing acceptance from European countries in particular that they need to do more secure their own security, including by increasing their defense spending.
Macron said he had spoken Friday with both Zelenskyy and Starmer about progress at the U.S.-Ukraine talks earlier this week in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which led to Trump resuming military aid and intelligence sharing with Kyiv.
Saturday's meeting, he said, will "continue to work on reinforcing the support for Ukraine and toward a solid and lasting peace.”
Ukraine, under severe military pressure on parts of the front line three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, has already endorsed the truce proposal. Russia’s army has gained battlefield momentum, and analysts say Putin likely will be reluctant to rush into a ceasefire while he feels he has an advantage.
“My message to the Kremlin could not be clearer: stop the barbaric attacks on Ukraine, once and for all, and agree to a ceasefire now,” Starmer said.
French President Emmanuel Macron, second left, , shakes hands with Colonel-General Ruslan Khomchak, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, as French Defense Minister Sebastien Lecornu, right, and Chief of Staff of the French Armed Forces Thierry Burkhard, left, look on during a meeting on the conflict in Ukraine at the Musee de la Marine as part of the Paris Defense and Strategy Forum in Paris, Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AP)
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro during their talks via videoconference at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, Russia, Friday, March 14, 2025. (Mikhail Metzel, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy speaks during the briefing in Kyiv, Ukraine, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)
In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, March 14, 2025, Russian soldiers ride atop of self-propelled gun at an area in the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In this photo taken from video distributed by Russian Defense Ministry Press Service on Friday, March 14, 2025, a Russian soldier rises a red flag atop of a house at an area in the Kursk region of Russia after it was taken over by Russian troops. (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer gestures during a Q&A session after delivering a speech on plans to reform the civil service, during a visit to Reckitt Benckiser Health Care UK Ltd in Kingston upon Hull, England, Thursday, March 13, 2025. (Oli Scarff/Pool Photo via AP)
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer departs 10 Downing Street to attend Prime Minister's Questions at the Houses of Parliament in London, England, Wednesday, March 12, 2025. (Stefan Rousseau/PA via AP)
