"I don't remember when this guy beat someone" – When Islam Makhachev laughed off Conor McGregor match-up speculation

At the UFC Fight Night 202 post-fight press conference in February this year, Islam Makhachev was asked if he would consider fighting Conor McGregor in the near future. The Russian didn't seem keen on the bout, laughing at the question due to McGregor's poor run of form in recent MMA bouts.

Makhachev didn't hold back when giving his response, suggesting that a potential bout against the Irishman would be no harder than facing Bobby Green:

"Honestly, I don't remember when this guy beat someone. He have to come back, beat someone, then, let's go, why not. I'm gonna smash him easy, Bobby Green is going to be harder than him."

Watch the full clip here:

Conor McGregor famously fought one of Islam Makhachev's closest friends, Khabib Nurmagomedov. The two Russians have a similar fighting style when on the ground, but Makhachev's striking is seemingly much better than Nurmagomedov's.

On paper, this would seem like an extremely difficult bout for McGregor, with 'Notorious' struggling to deal with the Dagestani style of wrestling in the past. Makhachev clearly didn't have an issue with fighting McGregor in the future, but felt that the former double champion needed to win some MMA bouts before getting the chance to fight him.

Makhachev will take on Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title in October this year. If the Russian can get past Oliveira, a potential bout with McGregor could be for the title.

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Michael Bisping issues strange request that Conor McGregor should demand if he rematches Floyd Mayweather

As mentioned, Conor McGregor has struggled to maintain his form against high-level opponents in the UFC. However, his next bout is looking more and more likely to take place outside of the octagon. The Irishman is being heavily linked to a rematch against Floyd Mayweather.

UFC legend and former middleweight champion Michael Bisping is just one of a few MMA authorities to respond to the stories. 'The Count' has made an unorthodox suggestion, stating that McGregor should demand the bout to take place without shoes:

"You know, I think McGregor should be arguing for potentially fighting in no shoes. You know I mean that is a big thing, MMA fighters, they get used to fighting barefoot, putting on boxing boots you get so much more traction, your footwork is just far more better."

Watch Bisping discuss the bout here:

The first contest between the two sporting icons was the second-biggest selling pay-per-view event in combat sports. So, it's no surprise that a rematch is allegedly being worked on. If the fight does take place, it will likely attract the attention of everyone around the world, just like before, despite McGregor's recent MMA outings.