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Following his two losses to Dustin Poirier earlier this year, a lot of questions have been asked regarding the UFC future of Conor McGregor. While some fans believe McGregor should retire from MMA following his recent losses, he remains the UFC’s biggest star, and still has several viable opponents.
One such opponent could be the highly rated lightweight prospect Islam Makhachev, who will fight Dan Hooker later this month at UFC 267.
Currently ranked #5 in the UFC lightweight division, Islam Makhachev could be a tricky fight for Conor McGregor, but he could also prove to be a lucrative opponent.
On that note, here are five reasons why Conor McGregor should call out Islam Makhachev as his next opponent.
#5. A win over Islam Makhachev would move Conor McGregor back into title contention
Naturally, Conor McGregor’s biggest aim as a fighter is to make money. However, ‘The Notorious’ probably wants to leave a legacy in the UFC, too, particularly after his recent defeats inside the octagon.
Of course, the best way for Conor McGregor to leave a lasting legacy at this stage would be to regain the UFC lightweight title. He captured that from Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in November 2016.
McGregor never actually lost the title inside the octagon, instead choosing to relinquish it to pursue a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. ‘The Notorious’ was defeated by Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in his first attempt to get it back, and has not had another opportunity since then.
Right now, Conor McGregor is probably nowhere near title contention following his two losses to Dustin Poirier. If he wants to get back there, he’ll need to beat a top contender. So where better to start than by knocking off the #5 ranked lightweight fighter in the UFC?
Basically, a win over Islam Makhachev would catapult Conor McGregor right back into contention for the UFC lightweight title. Based on the Irishman's star power, it could be enough to net him a title shot.
#4. Conor McGregor may be able to get into Islam Makhachev’s head
With an impressive UFC record of 9-1, it’s difficult to deny that Islam Makhachev is one of the best lightweights in the world right now. However, despite dusting opponents like Drew Dober and Thiago Moises, the Dagestani native has not yet come up against an opponent willing to get personal with him.
How would Islam Makhachev react if he were faced with a foe who would attempt to get into his head prior to the fight with insults or trash talk? We simply don’t know. And that’s something Conor McGregor could capitalise on.
Very few fighters, if any, are as good as Conor McGregor when it comes to using mind games to get into an opponent’s head prior to a fight, and then capitalising on that inside the octagon.
‘The Notorious’ used his brand of trash talk, insults and massive confidence to get into the heads of the likes of Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez. That turned them into easy victims inside the octagon
There’s even an argument to suggest that McGregor threw Khabib Nurmagomedov off his usual game. Despite beating McGregor, ‘The Eagle’ acted in an irrational manner after their fight by triggering a brawl with the Irishman’s corner.
Other fighters in the lightweight division, like Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, are well aware of that tendency, as they’ve come across it before with different opponents.
For Makhachev, though, it’d be all new – and may well give Conor McGregor a potential advantage, making it a worthwhile fight for him.
#3. Islam Makhachev may be a beatable opponent for Conor McGregor
On the surface, Islam Makhachev may well be considered a nightmare opponent for Conor McGregor. After all, Khabib Nurmagomedov exposed the holes in the Irishman’s ground game when they fought. Some have even claimed that Makhachev is better on the ground than ‘The Eagle’.
However, looking at the bigger picture, there’s an argument to suggest that Makhachev may well be a beatable opponent for ‘The Notorious’.
Firstly, Khabib may have been primarily known for his wrestling and ground game, but ‘The Eagle’ also possessed preternatural speed and explosiveness. That made it easy for him to both set up his takedowns, but also surprise his opponents with heavy strikes. That was seen when he fought Conor McGregor at UFC 229.
Islam Makhachev possesses a similar wrestling game to his teammate, but is not as fast as Khabib was in his prime. That means he often finds it harder to take opponents down. On the feet, though, Makhachev is a powerful and willing striker, but he certainly wouldn’t be considered great from a technical point of view.
Conor McGregor, meanwhile, at least in his prime, would’ve been considered one of the best strikers in UFC history. Blessed with phenomenal speed, accuracy and timing, ‘The Notorious’ used slick footwork to cut off his opponents before blasting them with brutal counterpunches, especially his left hand.
Against Makhachev, McGregor would not only enjoy a potential speed advantage, but also a reach advantage of nearly 4”. Based on what we saw ‘The Notorious’ do in his prime years, there’s every chance he could surprise UFC fans in a fight like this. He could make this fight look more like his clashes with Eddie Alvarez or Chad Mendes than his fight with Khabib.
As everyone is well aware, there’s nothing Conor McGregor likes more in the UFC than a match with a beatable opponent. That makes this fight one he should probably pursue.
#2. A fight with Islam Makhachev could be the closest thing Conor McGregor could get to a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov
Conor McGregor has always been the type of fighter who loves nothing better than to avenge an earlier loss. We saw that in his pursuit of a rematch with Nate Diaz after his loss to the American at UFC 196. That was also seen when McGregor pursued Dustin Poirier for a trilogy bout following his defeat to the latter at UFC 257.
Of course, the one rematch ‘The Notorious’ has never been able to get is with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Despite their initial clash at UFC 229 being the most bankable fight in UFC history, Khabib never seemed all that interested in rematching the Irishman, even when he was offered millions of dollars. Since his October 2020 retirement, a potential McGregor-Khabib rematch seems more unlikely than ever.
In that sense, a fight with Islam Makhachev – a training partner and close friend of Khabib – might be the closest thing possible for Conor McGregor to that rematch.
Not only does Makhachev fight with a very similar style to Khabib, but he’s also been labelled the 'heir to Khabib’s throne' and 'the new Khabib' on multiple occasions. Some observers have even claimed that Makhachev is the superior of the two.
The UFC might not be able to market a rematch between Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov, but a fight between ‘The Notorious’ and Khabib’s protégé would definitely be the next best thing. Would it sell hugely? You bet – which is another reason why McGregor should look to set it up.
#1. If Conor McGregor could beat Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov may be tempted back to the UFC
Officially at least, Khabib Nurmagomedov has been retired from MMA since his October 2020 victory over Justin Gaethje. In Khabib’s eyes, there’s no reason for him to return to the UFC, even for a huge money-making rematch with Conor McGregor.
However, ‘The Eagle’ remains under contract with the UFC. That means if he were to return from retirement, it would have to be with the world’s biggest MMA promotion. So if Conor McGregor cannot get Khabib to come back by abusing him with trash talk on social media, maybe the best route might be to defeat his protégé Islam Makhachev inside the octagon.
Essentially, this would be a plotline right out of a movie or pro-wrestling. If ‘The Notorious’ could defeat Makhachev – preferably in violent fashion – and then call out Khabib afterwards, would ‘The Eagle’ really be able to resist?
It’s difficult to say, but there’s definitely a possibility that Khabib'd take the bait. If he did, of course, the rematch between the two could be even bigger – meaning more money at the end of the line for both parties.
It might sound crazy, but a win over Islam Makhachev might be the only way for Conor McGregor to tempt his biggest rival back into the UFC – making it a worthy pursuit.
