Islam Makhachev (25-1-0) and Conor McGregor (22-6-0) are two of the most prominent fighters in the UFC over the past decade.
The Irishman, set to return to the octagon at UFC 303 on June 29, is the talk of the town, including the current number one pound-for-pound fighter: Islam Makhachev.
The Russian fighter, who will defend his lightweight title on June 2 against Dustin Poirier, spoke about ‘The Notorious,’ who was once a rival of Khabib Nurmagomedov, the legendary fighter from Dagestan and Makhachev‘s mentor.
“I can face him (McGregor) in August or September. He’s not the same as before. I don’t want to speak ill of him, but everyone knows he’s not the same,” Islam said on ‘Pound 4 Pound,’ the weekly show hosted by Henry Cejudo and Kamaru Usman.
“He used to be. When he fought Khabib [Nurmagomedov], he was in good shape. He was a strong fighter. However, now he drinks too much alcohol.”
The Russian, who first needs to defeat Poirier at UFC 302 to defend his position as the king of the octagon, is nonetheless thinking about a future bout with McGregor.
“Anyone can take on Conor. I don’t think he wants to drop weight for me. But why not? Someone would have to be stupid to refuse. Of course, I’d fight him,” Islam added.
