"100 percent yes" - Javier Mendez has 'no doubt' Islam Makhachev will beat Conor McGregor in a potential fight
American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) head coach Javier Mendez has a definitive take on a potential fight between one of his pupils and MMA megastar Conor McGregor.
The 50-year-old opened up on multiple topics during a recent livestream on the official Javier Mendez AKA Podcast YouTube channel. One of the questions that he answered was regarding a possible fight between Islam Makhachev and Conor McGregor.
The AKA head coach was incredibly confident about Makhachev’s chances against McGregor. When asked whether the Russian star can defeat 'Mystic Mac' in a fight, he said:
“100 percent yes. No question. No doubt. 100 percent yes.”
Mendez stated that he has no doubt whatsoever that his student, Islam Makhachev, would defeat Conor McGregor if the two were to ever square off in a fight.
Islam Makhachev and Conor McGregor are both on a quest for UFC gold
Both Islam Makhachev and Conor McGregor have lately emphasized their intentions to capture UFC gold.
Makhachev is on an eight-fight winning streak and has vowed to win the UFC lightweight title. The Dagestan native has trained with MMA legend and former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov since childhood. He is currently looking to follow in Nurmagomedov’s footsteps and become the undisputed king of the UFC lightweight division.
Islam Makhachev’s most recent fight was a fourth-round submission win over Thiago Moises at UFC on ESPN: Makhachev vs. Moises in July 2021.
Meanwhile, Conor McGregor’s most recent fight was a first-round TKO loss at the hands of Dustin Poirier. The Irishman suffered a lower-leg injury towards the end of the first round of their UFC 264 trilogy fight that transpired in July 2021.
The injury resulted in Conor McGregor being unable to continue fighting. The fight was resultantly stopped between rounds one and two. It was declared as a doctor’s stoppage victory for Poirier.
Conor McGregor is currently recovering from his injury and has vowed to reclaim the UFC lightweight title. The 33-year-old has also promised that his rivalry with Poirier is far from over. He has indicated that a fourth fight between them could be on the horizon when he returns in 2022.