Khabib Nurmagomedov's coach says Islam Makhachev targeted welterweight long before Ilia Topuria entered the picture
Khabib Nurmagomedov's coach recently opened up about Islam Makhachev's move to welterweight and revealed that it had been something his pupil had been thinking about for a long time. He noted that the Dagestani was eyeing a move to 170 pounds long before Ilia Topuria was one of the biggest stars in the sport.
Makhachev opted to move up to 170 pounds to challenge Jack Della Maddalena in pursuit of double champion status rather than defend his lightweight title a record fifth time against Topuria.
In doing so, the Dagestani relinquished his championship to set the stage for a vacant title fight between 'El Matador' and 'Do Bronx' at UFC 317 later this month.
Makhachev received some backlash from fans as a bout against Topuria was highly anticipated and could have been very lucrative.
Red Corner MMA posted a clip from Makhachev's coach Javier Mendez's latest appearance on Submission Radio, where he mentioned that the Dagestani's move was motivated by legacy rather than money. Mendez said:
"[Makhachev] goes, 'I want to defend the [lightweight] title more than anybody. Then after that, if I can get an opportunity, I want to go for the welterweight title'... This has been on our radar way back then before Topuria was anybody even known in our radar, so the mission is still as it was back then and now it's coming through for what he wants... They're not about the money. If they have enough money, they're about legacy. They want the legacy fights."
Check out Red Corner MMA's post featuring Javier Mendez's comments below:
Javier Mendez discusses significance of Islam Makhachev's move up to welterweight
Javier Mendez also shared his thoughts on significance of Islam Makhachev's move to welterweight and said that it can result in him closing in on the GOAT debate.
In the aforementioned clip, Mendez mentioned that Makhachev is determined to cement himself as the greatest of all time and could further strengthen his argument:
"[Makhachev is] gonna put himself at the forefront of one of the greatest of all time. And that is what I believe is gonna happen with him and who knows, before it's all set and done, he might be considered the greatest or considered the one, two or three... But, he's definitely in line for it."
Check out the full interview below: