UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev extended his winning streak to 14 fights with a submission finish of Dustin Poirier earlier this month and though many people expect him to fight current No.1 contender Arman Tsarukyan next, it seems the star is more interested in fighting Conor McGregor instead.
“To be honest, the McGregor fight looks more interesting,” Makhachev said in a new interview. “In terms of media [attention] and in all respects.
“But I don’t think he’ll even show up for his next fight. We’ve all seen that video, plus they canceled the press conference.”
So Makhachev isn’t convinced that McGregor actually gets into the Octagon at UFC 303 later this month, but even if he does, the current champ expects him to lose.
“I don’t think he’ll be able to make it to the fight. Even if he does, Chandler will win. He’s more focused, he’s been training hard, he looks more hungry.”
Nevertheless, if McGregor did win it seems that Makhachev would be willing to fight him – a fact later confirmed by his manager Ali Abdelaziz.
“Conor might go there and knock out Chandler in the first round and after that, he’s one of the biggest stars in the sport,” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio. “Like him or hate him, he is. And if he tells the UFC, ‘Hey, I want a title shot,’ Islam wants a title shot, that can be the next title shot. Islam’s not going to say no to this fight. It’s a big fight, it’s a big name, it’s a lot more money.”
