Islam Makhachev took a nasty jibe at the former UFC champion Charles Oliveira for snubbing him and opting for a money fight with the Irish star Conor McGregor.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
Currently, the UFC lightweight division has no champion after ‘Do Bronx’ lost his belt after failing to make weight at UFC 274. Despite that, the Brazilian defeated his opponent Justin Gaethje in the first round.
Hence, Oliveira stills stands at the number one position on the lightweight roster. So he will fight for the title next. But there has been no announcement of his opponent. However, the Brazilian former champion recently told ESPN that he wants to fight the Irish star Conor McGregor for the vacant title.
— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) June 15, 2022
He was also very open about the financial benefits McGregor brings in the fights, even to his opponents. ‘Do Bronx’ also added that a fight with the UFC legend will be good for his legacy.
WATCH THIS STORY: What’s Next For Jiri Prochazka After A Last Minute Win Over Glover Teixeira at UFC 275
But the number four lightweight contender Islam Makhachev, who is also eyeing for the belt, is not a fan of Oliveira’s idea. He reposted the news on his official Twitter page with two clown emojis in the caption.
Why is Charles Oliveira not fighting Islam Makhachev?
Makhachev has been demanding a shot at the lightweight title for a long time now. His coach and former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is also backing him for the same.
However, ‘Do Bronx’ has his reason for not fighting Makhachev. In the same interview with ESPN, Oliveira said, “I’ve never ran from a fight and the lightweight champion is called Charles Oliveira. Is Islam a very tough guy? Yep. Did he fight big names? No. He’s on a big streak, but who did he fight?”
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
ALSO READ: Is Charles Oliveira a Quitter? Why Did Title Challenger Justin Gaethje Call Him That Before UFC 274?
“I don’t care about his fighting style. What he does best, I do 10 times more. If he thinks that putting down everyone [on the ground] he [fought] is the same thing as [fighting] Charles Oliveira, he is completely wrong.” He added.
Although Makhachev is on a ten-fight win streak, Oliveira believes he lacks big names on his list. He further claimed to be ten times better than the Dagestani fighter.
ADVERTISEMENT
Article continues below this ad
As per ‘Do Bronx,’ Makhachev should bag one more win against a top-ranked contender from the division to earn the title fight.
What are your thoughts on Oliveira’s words? Do you think Oliveira is right for wanting to fight McGregor? Let us know in the comments section below.