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Conor McGregor’s Coach Hints at Islam Makhachev Fight for Conor McGregor’s Return
Conor McGregor is currently going through a rough phase. He has won only one fight since 2018 and is currently on a two-fight skid.
Furthermore, as ‘The Notorious’ broke his leg in his last fight against his rival, Dustin Poirier, he is out of action. Ever since then, the Dublin native is itching for a fight in the UFC. Being a star of the promotion, ‘The Notorious’ has plenty of names that he can dance with inside the cage. However, according to McGregor’s head coach, any viable opponent from the lightweight roster would a motivating factor for the Irishman.
In his recent interaction with Submission Radio, John Kavanagh said, “Whoever he (Conor McGregor) faces, he will be highly motivated. It’s clear at this stage Conor has a few quid. He’s got a few dollars in the bank account.”
“So that’s not the motivating factor at this stage. The motivating factor is competition and to improve himself and to test himself against whoever it is.”
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“For me, I will leave those conversations for the fans. Let them enjoy that for me it would just be a different body type, a different skill set. And let’s see how we match against them whether to face Islam would be fantastic. He’s a great fighter.”
The feud between Khabib Nurmagomedov and McGregor was one of the most bitter rivalries in the promotion. However, it didn’t end well for ‘The Notorious’ as he submitted to ‘The Eagle’ in the fourth round at UFC 229.
Will Conor McGregor get the Islam Makhachev fight?
Following his win over ‘The Notorious’, Khabib Nurmagomedov further fought only two UFC fights. After his successful title defense at UFC 254, Dagestan’s son hung his gloves forever.
Interestingly, Nurmagomedov’s friend and teammate, Islam Makhachev, is carrying the light forward in the lightweight division of UFC. Makhachev, the 21-1 record holder, made his UFC debut in 2015. He has only one UFC loss and is currently on a nine-fight UFC win streak.
BOSTON, MA – JANUARY 20: Islam Makhachev of Russia celebrates after his knockout victory over Gleison Tibau of Brazil in their lightweight bout during the UFC 220 event at TD Garden on January 20, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Ever since his first-round submission win over Dan Hooker at UFC 267, he has been demanding a shot at the lightweight gold, i.e. a fight against the winner of Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier.
However, the #2 lightweight contender Justin Gaethje is also in the picture. Hence, the #4 Makhachev will have to secure one more win. That being said, although McGregor is a big name to fight, the Dagestan native won’t wait that long for his next fight, as the Irishman will return only in late 2022.
Given the feud between McGregor and Khabib’s team, he could very well fight ‘The Notorious’ sometime later.
What are your thoughts on Kavanagh’s words? Who do you think McGregor should fight in his comeback? Let us know in the comments below.
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