"I'm realist. I understand that I will not get an immediate rematch. But over time, something may work out. People will start saying that my time is up, doubting me, and this will be a good promotion for the fight. Many fans say that I have nothing left to do in the featherweight division, that it’s time to fight for the belt in the lightweight division. I plan to do this. In the meantime, I need to go through Elijah. All I can say is that you will see me at lightweight in the near future.”
Let us remember that Volkanovski and Makhachev met twice in the Octagon, and Islam won twice.