Is Islam Makhachev Suffering From Staph Infection Before UFC 302 Dustin Poirier Fight?

UFC 302 is only a couple of days away and the combat world will soon witness Dustin Poirier and Islam Makhachev go head-to-head for the first time. Everything seems good and both fighters have expressed their readiness for the clash, but there appears to be a medical issue with the lightweight champion. There are speculations that Makhachev could be suffering from a staph infection, this close to the biggest fight of his career.

Islam Makhachev was all smiles after he received his drug test jacket for completing 50 drug tests without failure during the media day recently. And guess what? He’s even happier to have his mentor by his side this weekend. Yes, you’ve heard it right, Khabib Nurmagomedov is back in Makhachev’s corner. But his protégé could be in some serious trouble ahead of UFC 302 as Conor McGregor recently pointed out.

What did Conor McGregor say about Islam Makhachev?

There’s indeed no love lost between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov ever since they started their beef. The Irishman has often taken shots at Islam Makhachev and his fighting, sparing none of those two Dagestani stars from his verbal onslaught. However, after coming across a UFC 302 photo of Makhachev and Dustin Poirier, ‘The Notorious’ instantly noticed a bruise on the reigning champion’s leg.

After a picture was shared by ‘AFeldmanMMA‘ on X, Conor McGregor asserted that it was a staph infection. But somehow he took a U-turn from his previous prediction of the June 1 headliner. “Staph again. This in***d however lives with Staph. This team is infected, make no mistake. Scruff balls. Whatever ya’s are into, I suppose. He still subs Dustin in the 1st,” Conor McGregor wrote on X.

He also gave hygiene tips to the Islam Makhachev’s camp. “Yous absolutely f***s I’m sick of yous. Wash you f***ing self! Wash you clothes! Wash your mats! And do it f***ing everyday you scruffy c**ts,” the ‘Road House’ star further rained down on Khabib and co.

Is this really a cause for concern because there is a valid explanation as to why the lightweight champion’s feet were all bruised up? Well, that’s because it is a common medical issue in the realm of grappling.

How do staph infections affect grapplers and wrestlers?

Islam Makhachev’s prowess and background mainly come from combat sambo, which involves a lot of wrestling training. And this could be one reason why he might have been infected because it’s a contact sport and there could be some fighters, with whom he’s hitting the mats ahead of UFC 302, who might have been infected. This infection, known as Staphylococcus infection, happens in different parts of the body.

The most vulnerable spot in the body where an athlete can get infected is the feet. The feet are the most vulnerable part of the body because they collect a lot of bacteria. And guess what? Staph infections occur as soon as those bacteria react to a minor cut or a bruise, it starts to look like carbuncles. If the treatment for these issues is delayed or ignored, it can get bad.

What does this mean? Is Islam Makhackev’s title defense in trouble? We can’t be sure of anything yet because the champion has always maintained that he’s trained and prepared well for the third title defense. We will have to wait and see how things go down this Saturday.