Coach Javier Mendez draws a similarity between Islam Makhachev and Alex Pereira in light of potential Ilia Topuria fight: "He is a true, true G"
Javier Mendez recently celebrated a string of team successes and offered intriguing insights into future UFC matchups. His latest comments have sparked interest by comparing two of the sport's titleholders: Islam Makhachev and Alex Pereira.
Talks of a potential fight between Makhachev and Ilia Topuria have created a buzz recently. Topuria, who vacated his featherweight belt, is moving up to 155 pounds with the lightweight title in his sights. Makhachev, on the other hand, has recorded four title defenses, a UFC record at 155 pounds.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Mendez highlighted that Makhachev can switch strategies on the fly, which makes him difficult to predict and counter. The American Kickboxing Academy head coach explained:
"He [Islam Makhachev] fights however we ask him to fight, minute by minute, second by second, round by round because he can. So, we can have one plan going in, and all of a sudden we change it, and guess what? We have a fighter that is able to change it because he's that good."
Turning his attention to Pereira, Mendez praised the reigning light heavyweight champion's penchant for taking fights on short notice. He also lauded the Brazilian's willingness to fight anyone, a trait he believes Makhachev showcases as well. He added:
"The only one that's like that, I think, is Pereira. He's the one that will take two, three weeks' notice. The number two for me is Islam. Islam will take anybody too, but, you know, he'll take a little bit more time. But Alex is a G, man! I don't think there's ever been anyone like that I've ever seen in championship history. I've never seen that! He is a true, true G!"
Check out Javier Mendez's comments below (18:20):
Islam Makhachev’s manager reacts to Ilia Topuria potentially getting a shot at lightweight gold
Islam Makhachev’s coach, Rizvan Magomedov, recently weighed in on a potential fight against Ilia Topuria after the latter relinquished his featherweight belt. He emphasized that Makhachev doesn't need to accept another bout against a “small featherweight," with two of his client's four title defenses coming against former 145-pound champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Pitching Dustin Poirier and Charles Oliveira as potential opponents for Topuria at lightweight, Magomedov wrote on X:
"Topuria vs Dustin/Charles contender fight, to prove he’s legit lightweight. So we don’t have to defeat another ‘small featherweight’ We need big fight that make sense for everyone. We already gave chances to featherweight champ that was reigning for long time."
Check out his post below: