"I have always same problem" - Islam Makhachev confirms Rafael dos Anjos, Tony Ferguson and Gregor Gillespie were also offered UFC Vegas 49 main event
Islam Makhachev recently revealed that Bobby Green was not the only fighter to be offered a spot on the main card against him at UFC Vegas 49.
In his pre-fight press conference, the Dagestani fighter was asked if any other fighters had been offered a contract to fight him. In response, Makhachev stated that top fighters like Rafael dos Anjos, Tony Ferguson, and Gregor Gillespie were also approached. However, they all declined.
Speaking further, Makhachev added that he has always had a tough time finding opponents:
"They ask RDA [Rafael dos Anjos], Tony and Gillespie. They all say no... I don't want to say they scare or something like that. Because this is just one week before the fight. But I have always same problem for find someone."
Catch the UFC Vegas 49 full pre-fight interview below:
'King' recently defeated Nasrat Haqparast in a stunning victory at UFC 271. Following his victory, he agreed to fight Makhachev in the main event of UFC Vegas 49 on short notice.
Green was called in to fill in for Beneil Dariush, who suffered a fibula fracture during training.
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Bobby Green steps in on short notice to face @MakhachevMMA next Saturday!
[ #UFCVegas49 | Sat. Feb 26 | Live on @ESPNPlus ] https://t.co/psJRJ8WbEk
Dan Hooker explains why Islam Makhachev might have had a hard time finding a suitable opponent
The lightweight bout between Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev was originally scheduled to be the main event of UFC Vegas 49. Dariush, on the other hand, was forced to withdraw from the card due to an injury.
In a recent episode of The Allstar, Dan Hooker suggested that elite lightweights like Dustin Poirier may have felt it was too risky to fight another top-five fighter on short notice:
βTo take on a guy like Islam on one or two weeks notice is a pretty tough call and [Dustin] Poirier and [Michael] Chandler and Tony Ferguson wouldnβt even be expected to make that kind of jump or sacrifice just because the risk is not worth the reward for a guy with a name likeβ¦ The reward is not there for a fighter like Dustin Poirier to take on Islam on a weeks', or two weeks' notice. It just doesnβt make any sense for him.β
Catch the full discussion with Dan Hooker below:
Islam Makhachev is on a nine-fight winning streak, defeating fighters such as Arman Tsarukyan, Davi Ramos, Drew Dober, and Thiago Moises. His most recent fight was at UFC 267, where he defeated Dan Hooker via first-round submission.
Bobby Green, on the other hand, is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 271.