Islam Makhachev reveals he was surprised that Bobby Green accepted the fight on short notice
Islam Makhachev claims he respects Bobby Green for agreeing to face him on short notice.
The Dagestani phenom was initially slated to take on No.3-ranked Beneil Dariush at UFC Vegas 49. However, Dariush was forced to withdraw at the eleventh hour due to an injury and was replaced by Green.
During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Makhachev admitted that he was surprised Green agreed to take the fight on such short notice. He said:
"I respect Bobby because he took the fight [in] eight days. But that honestly doesn't matter to me because I'm always training hard and I'm ready for anyone... Honestly, I'm very surprised because I asked my manager, 'Give me someone from the top ten...' But nobody [took it]. But Bobby said yes."
Watch Islam Makhachev's interview with TMZ Sports:
Islam Makhachev is open to fighting Beneil Dariush in the future
Islam Makhachev's fight against Beneil Dariush was set to be a de-facto No.1 contender match. The winner would have been a shoe-in to take on the winner of the UFC 274 clash between Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira for the 155 lbs championship.
A clash between Makhachev and Dariush could yet come to fruition as the Dagestani phenom has indicated that he wants to take on the No.3-ranked lightweight down the road. During his interview with TMZ Sports, Makhachev said:
"I really want to fight him because this guy has good skills. He's a good fighter and that's why I really believe one day we're going to fight."
Watch some of the highlights from Makhachev's winning streak:
Makhachev has won nine fights in succession. He will be looking to add to his winning streak with a win over Green at UFC Vegas 49.
Even though the bout will take place at a catchweight of 160 lbs, Makhachev's winning streak could land him the next title shot. Several other top contenders, including Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler, have already fought for the championship unsuccessfully.