Islam Makhachev will defend his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje next, if his coach Javier Mendez has any say in the matter. The Dagestani is hoping to continue his reign of terror in the lightweight division and has several options of who his next fight may be. One choice for the 155 lbs champion is the former featherweight king, Ilia Topuria ; though he isn’t the preferred opponent. Legendary coach Javier Mendez has weighed in on who he believes is the perfect man to test themselves against Islam Makhachev’s title dominance.  “Fantastic, then it’s Justin Gaethje,” Mendez said in response to who’s next. “We’ll focus on Justin Gaethje.” “That would be ideal for us, the perfect matchup based on the fact where his standing is and what he’s done.