Dominance MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz floats dream matchup of Justin Gaethje vs. Islam Makhachev

Justin Gaethje and Islam Makhachev are both UFC champions, and now they are being positioned, at least in a manager’s pitch, for one of the sport’s most intriguing cross-division matchups. Ali Abdelaziz, who manages both fighters through Dominance MMA, has suggested a fight between his two star clients, a bout that would pit Gaethje’s lightweight standing against Makhachev’s status in the welterweight ranks.

According to the report carried by Yahoo Sports, Abdelaziz’s interest is not simply matchmaking for its own sake. He framed the idea as a way to bring Gaethje into the biggest possible fights, describing the matchup as the type of high-profile challenge that makes sense if Gaethje’s career is indeed “winding down.” The underlying argument is straightforward: if a fighter’s timeline is shortening, the appetite for legacy-level opponents tends to rise, and a champion-versus-champion pairing would carry that weight.

The proposal also matters because it highlights how much of modern UFC decision-making happens through relationships and leverage, not just rankings and belts. Abdelaziz manages Gaethje and Makhachev, two fighters with enough prominence that a matchup featuring both would instantly become a mainstream event. Manager-led proposals do not guarantee action from the promotion, but they often report what a camp believes the UFC could be persuaded to prioritize.

Abdelaziz’s pitch ties together the broader competitive picture of the UFC’s weight-class ecosystem. When champions fight outside their division, it can function as a public referendum on who is “the best overall,” not merely who is best in a specific weight bracket. A Gaethje-Makhachev fight, by virtue of being champion-to-champion across different divisions, would fit that role, and it would likely reshape narratives about dominance and stylistic authority even before the first bell.

That said, this is still best understood as a manager suggestion rather than a confirmed match. The report describes Abdelaziz “pitching” the matchup, not UFC announcing it, finalizing it, or setting a date and bout terms. Until the UFC makes an official announcement, fans should treat the idea as one camp’s preferred storyline, not as a guaranteed fight card destination.

For the fighters involved, the pitch lands on practical realities that typically affect how and when such dreams become real. Champions must weigh their own competitive goals, their next-opponent plans, and the risk profile of fighting beyond the division in which they established their championship run. If the UFC were to explore the concept, it would likely need alignment from both camps and an event strategy that fits the promotion’s schedule and title-structure priorities.

The next thing to watch is not just whether either fighter responds, but whether any official UFC messaging emerges around the matchup. A credible pathway usually follows with promotion-level discussion: matchmaking consideration, public confirmation, and eventually a formal bout booking. Until then, Abdelaziz’s pitch serves as a clear report of what kind of headline Gaethje and Makhachev camps want to pursue, and how a manager with two elite titleholders views the sport’s biggest-stage opportunities.