Dubai wasn’t supposed to deliver the most recent crossover tease in combat sports. However, halfway between a PFL event and a backstage meet-and-greet, two legends from different realms found themselves joking about T-shirts, Dagestan, and what may happen if boxing royalty ever embraced wrestling.

It didn’t feel staged. Anthony Joshua didn’t call anyone out, nor did Islam Makhachev promote a superfight. But when the term “2-3 years Dagestan and forget” appeared in the chat as a part of a sales pitch, the tone shifted from friendly banter to something fans couldn’t ignore.

Islam Makhachev accepts Anthony Joshua’s merchandise idea

Speaking to Arena Fight TV in Russian, Islam Makhachev later revealed what Joshua had asked him behind the scenes. “Anthony Joshua told me he wants to make T-shirts, and I said okay, I’ll give you approval—you can make T-shirts,” the Welterweight champion said.

“And also, you have to come to Dagestan to improve your wrestling. This guy is huge, very good at striking. If this big guy improves his wrestling, can you imagine how good he’s going to be in MMA?” he added.

That is surely a very classic Dagestani condition to put forth. Permission is granted—but only if you’re willing to pay the price in sweat. The viral clip of their meetup in Dubai showed Anthony Joshua smiling as Islam Makhachev pushed him beyond merchandise and memes.

When told he’d have to actually come train, the boxer countered with moderation. Joshua didn’t reject the idea, but he wasn’t signing up for exile either. “Maybe for two-three weeks, not years,” he said as the room laughed. It was playful but telling. After all, Dagestan is more than just a location in MMA culture; it’s shorthand for transformation.

Fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev built their reputations through crushing grappling, constant pressure, and near-mythical discipline. The invitation to Anthony Joshua was not a gimmick. It was meant to put him to the test in unfamiliar territory.

While Anthony Joshua has always respected wrestling and grappling traditions, his roots and fortune are in boxing. A short stay makes sense. A lifestyle overhaul does not. Still, Islam Makhachev’s point lingers. A heavyweight of Anthony Joshua’s stature and strength, equipped with elite-level wrestling, is an intriguing thought experiment. And it’s not as if he has never trained MMA in the past.

Sharing the mats with Paddy Pimblett might’ve led Joshua to reject Makhachev’s invite

The idea of Anthony Joshua spending months in Dagestan sounds romantic in theory. But it is worth noting that he’s already gotten a taste of MMA life in practice, and it might have been enough. Long before his viral exchange with Islam Makhachev in Dubai, Joshua sparred with UFC lightweight star Paddy Pimblett as part of an Under Armour campaign.

The result was less fantasy crossover and more reality check. ‘The Baddy’ showed the mechanics of a rear-naked choke, walking gently through the grip before tightening it just enough to make the point. The boxer laughed at first, but then rolled almost instantly. Later, he admitted that the experience changed his perspective.

“That’s the first time I’ve been in the cage,” Joshua said. “I just said to myself, ‘This ain’t for me.” It wasn’t fear. It was clarity. Wrestling exchanges feel incredibly different when you’re being controlled. That moment might explain why Joshua smiled when Islam Makhachev invited him to Dagestan—and why he restricted the offer to two or three weeks rather than years.

He has previously sparred with MMA royalty, including sharing the ring with Francis Ngannou in boxing. However, grappling is a very different realm. Islam Makhachev believes that wrestling has the ability to improve Joshua’s frame. Meanwhile, the 36-year-old seems to understand how steep the learning curve is.