When Islam Makhachev mocked Conor McGregor by calling Bobby Green tougher opponent: "Smash him like easy"
Islam Makhachev and Conor McGregor have never been on good terms. The rivalry only intensified after Khabib Nurmagomedov retired from MMA and Makhachev emerged as the apparent heir to his dominance in the UFC lightweight division.
McGregor has aimed several insults at Makhachev over the last few years and the Dagestani fighter has not responded in kind either. In February 2022, Makhachev was heading into a short-notice fight against Bobby Green. He was widely regarded as the next challenger to the lightweight title held by Charles Oliveira at the time.
McGregor, who was on the sidelines after suffering a brutal leg break, said that he deserved to fight Oliveira for the 155-pound title. When asked to share his thoughts on the Irishman's statement, Makhachev said:
"Honestly, I don't remember when this guy [Conor McGregor] beat someone. He has to come back, beat someone and let's go, why not? I'm gonna smash him, like, easy. Bobby Green is going to be [a tougher opponent] for me than Conor."
Check out Islam Makhachev's comments below:
Islam Makhachev wants a team vs. team street fight against Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov's historic rivalry laid the foundation of the Irishman's feud with Islam Makhachev. Being a close associate and teammate of Khabib, Makhachev has been on the Irishman's radar as a potential opponent, especially after he rose to the champion's status.
Makhachev, who has shown interest in fighting McGregor in recent times, shared his thoughts on the potential matchup in an interview with ESPN MMA. Heading into the UFC 302 fight against Dustin Poirier, the Dagestani fighter told Brett Okamoto that he would welcome a fight against 'The Notorious'. However, he would prefer to settle the business in a team vs. team street fight:
"When our team meets his team in the street somewhere and we have a good fight, you know. Because we all have experience of fighting in the streets. We just want to meet them and finish all the talks."
He added:
"Team vs. team is going to be more interesting because Khabib already beat him in the cage, beat his corner. But team vs. team, maybe we can make an ultimate fight."
Check out Islam Makhachev's comments below(9:45):
Makhachev successfully defended the lightweight title by defeating Poirier at UFC 302. Meanwhile, McGregor will return to competition against Michael Chandler at the UFC 303 pay-per-view event on June 29.
Given the longstanding rivalry and McGregor's star power, a potential fight against Makhachev is not out of the realm of reality. However, Makhachev has reiterated his desire to challenge for the welterweight title. It will be interesting to see how things play out.