![Islam Makhachev (left), Ali Abdelaziz (center) and Conor McGregor (right) [Credits: @islam_makhachev, @thenotoriousmma via Instagram]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/10/80529-16342734325997-1920.jpg)
![Islam Makhachev (left), Ali Abdelaziz (center) and Conor McGregor (right) [Credits: @islam_makhachev, @thenotoriousmma via Instagram]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
There has been no love lost between Conor McGregor and Ali Abdelaziz.
The MMA manager recently claimed that McGregor would prefer to be behind bars than fight Islam Makhachev.
In an interview with MMA Junkie, Abdelaziz said:
"At the end of the day, all these guys are gonna fight each other... If Justin Gaethje wins, he's gonna fight for the title... If Conor McGregor wanna get one more a**-whooping from the Dagestani mafia, we can give it to him, you know. Listen, at the the end of the day he's still talking, he still insulted people, assaulted people. Still going to jail but listen, being locked in jail or being locked with Islam Makhachev?... I think he would choose jail."
Islam Makhachev is set to face Dan Hooker at UFC 266. The Kiwi accepted the bout on short notice, replacing Rafael dos Anjos. The Brazilian had to pull out due to injury.
Makhachev entered the top five of the lightweight division after defeating Thiago Moises at UFC on ESPN: Makhachev vs. Moises. Conor McGregor, on the other hand, dropped to No.9 in the division following the Russian's win.
Ali Abdelaziz says Khabib Nurmagomedov took Conor McGregor's soul
Conor McGregor's feud with Abdelaziz and the Dagestani contingent of fighters started before he was scheduled to face Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.
The event was the highest-grossing pay-per-view in UFC history. It ended with Nurmagomedov submitting McGregor and then infamously jumping out of the cage to attack the Irishman's teammate Dillon Danis.
Speaking in retrospect about the popular rivalry, Abdelaziz said:
"It's not over, this [rivalry] will never be over. It can be on the street, in the hotel. Because some of the things he said and he never apologized for them. He insulted Khabib's father, wife and family... But guess what, he's irrelevant... Khabib took his soul and never gave it back, he's a man living without a soul."
Watch Abdelaziz's full interview below:
