Should Conor McGregor make a statement at UFC 303 versus Chandler, a fight with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev remains ‘very possible’.
Following his submission victory over Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, dominant lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is in a position where he could very well land what would undoubtedly be the biggest fight of his already-outstanding career.
Islam Makhachev’s manager says McGregor fight ‘very possible’
Speaking to Submission Radio, manager Ali Abdelaziz explained how if upcoming fights go their way, it’s ‘very possible’ that we see Islam Makhachev defend his lightweight title against Conor McGregor in late 2024.
“It’s a crazy sport, Conor might go in there [and] knockout Chandler in the first round, and then you know he’s one of the biggest stars in the sport. Like him or hate him, he is.
“If he tells the UFC ‘Hey, I want a title shot, Islam wants a title shot’ – that can be your next title shot, Islam is not going to say no, he’s not going to say no to this fight.”
Of course, should Makhachev’s next matchup be a ‘Notorious’ one, it would force the UFC to shelve the championship aspirations of one Arman Tsarukyan, who was recently warned by MMA legend Chael Sonnen of missing out on the title shot.
Yet should it come down to McGregor or Tsarukyan, there’s no doubt that the UFC would opt to go with the Irish superstar, especially given the history with Makhachev’s coach and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“It’s a big fight, it’s a big name, it’s a lot more money and at the end of the day, people fight for legacy but if they’re not getting paid then they’re not going to fight.
“It’s about making money, that is what it is. The guy’s a massive star, I think he’s a piece of s*** but he is a massive star, you can’t take this away from him.”
As noted by the veteran manager, a potential clash between the sport’s biggest superstar and the dominant lightweight champion “will be one of the biggest fights that you can make today.”
“If there’s one thing that I know about Dana White is that he likes money and he likes business – that’s why the UFC is so big right now… They’re great minds [at the UFC] and they put on the biggest fights where they can sell the most PPV’s, [so] why not?
Whilst fans of McGregor will be salivating at the thought of him getting back into title contention so quickly after his UFC return, he would still need to defeat Michel Chandler at UFC 303 later this month; and come out of the bout without injury.
“Listen, it’s very possible but you know, Conor has to get off the bottle and he has to leave the drugs alone and focus… He’s a two-division champion and he has talent, but is the hard work there or not.”
The UFC knows that Islam Makhachev is coming for a second belt
Should a lightweight title fight with McGregor fail to materialize in the immediate future, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Islam Makhachev fighting for the UFC welterweight title within the next 12-18 months.
Not only has Makhachev been vocal about his desire to earn a second title, but Abdelaziz believes that the UFC is also aware that the Dagestani wrecking ball could be their next double champion.
According to the veteran manager, the UFC “they know that he’s going to go up,” and that “he’s coming” for the welterweight title, whether it’s held by Leon Edwards, Belal Muhammad or another top contender.
“If Islam decides to go up, he’s going to go up… Of course, we all have to talk, and we always seem to be on the same page.”
Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler is only a few weeks away; scheduled for June 29 live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.