Islam Makhachev’s team sees a title shot for ther star fighter in future. They hope that will come after yet another dominant win for Makhachev at UFC Vegas 49 this weekend, but coach Javier Mendez told Submission Radio that he sees a Notorious spanner in the works.
Namely, he doesn’t think the UFC will give Islam the chance they feel he deserves, because Conor McGregor will come back and demand a title shot despite his abysmal 1-3 lightweight record.
Team Makhachev Expects McGregor to get Title Shot Over Islam
“That’s part of the game. He carries the big numbers, so whatever the UFC decides. I’m expecting anything can happen with the guy that has the power to do that.
Do I like it? Absolutely not. But do I have a choice? Absolutely not. To me the rankings are bullshit. They always have been bullsh*t. They’re still bullsh*t.
So, I don’t really care about the rankings. Whoever gets that opportunity, it’s like I always say, this is not a true sport, this is entertainment first, sport second.”
Conor McGregor, if he returns to the Octagon, will enter on the back of a two-fight losing streak at any weight, and a three-fight losing streak at lightweight. Arguably the only factor in McGregor’s favor is that he once held the lightweight title, earned when he knocked then-champ Eddie Alvarez out back in 2016. Since then, however, McGregor has not won a single fight at 155 pounds.
The UFC will want to make the most of McGregor while they can, and considering his waning competitive fortunes of late – just a single win in four fights – and champ Charles Oliveira’s stated desire for a McGregor-sized payday, Islam might just have to wait.
“In the entertainment value, the UFC wants the most money. Who’s going to create the most money for them? That’s where they’re going to go. And guess what? That’s what they’re going to do. So, we’ll see, we’ll see what the UFC wants. I’m prepared for whatever they do, and I’m not going to be upset one way or another.
Do I think it’s fair? Absolutely not. If Islam doesn’t get the title fight should he beat Bobby, it’s not fair. But nothing is fair. Look what Khabib had to do to get to where he was at. He had to go through a lot of crap too.”
Islam Makhachev is currently ranked fourth in the lightweight division, but has not taken out top-5 opposition, so it’s plausible that the UFC will make him fight the likes of Dustin Poirier or Michael Chandler before he can take on the winner of Gaethje vs Oliveira.
Do you think McGregor or Islam is more likely to get a lightweight title shot? Let us know in the comments.
