Johnson believes that Makhachev has earned the right to fight for a second championship belt

Demetrious Johnson, former UFC lightweight champion, believes Islam Makhachev, the promotion's lightweight champion, has earned the right to fight for a second championship belt.

"O'Malley wants to fight Topuria - what about having made 5 successful defenses of the belt at his weight? The same goes for Topuria himself, who wants a fight with Conor. McGregor is drinking his whiskey on a yacht! Let Elijah fight Holloway for starters and have a rematch with Volkanovski. Spread your story so your move to another division gets attention. I like the idea of a Makhachev vs. Edwards fight though. I think Islam deserves a fight for the second belt. But Tsarukyan also deserves a rematch with Islam. If Makhachev beats him and Edwards beats Belal, it would be a great fight," Johnson told MMA Hour