Conor McGregor is already looking far beyond his much-anticipated return at UFC 329, and ‘The Notorious’ already has his sights set on the ultimate legacy fight. If the former double champion defeats Max Holloway next month, he wants to face welterweight kingpin Islam Makhachev to finally avenge his legendary, bitter loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Makhachev was rumored to be planning a pound-for-pound superfight against the undefeated Ilia Topuria. But when Justin Gaethje derailed that train and turned the storyline on its head at UFC Freedom 250, the MMA scene found a new opening—and the Dagestani phenom’s long-time coach, Javier Mendez, is practically begging for the Irishman to fill it.

Mendez told Submission Radio that he isn’t disappointed by the Ilia Topuria matchup falling through, since there’s no doubt that a fight against Conor McGregor would eclipse it.

“I’m not disappointed at all,” he said. “We didn’t need Topuria for Islam to vault himself to another level. Maybe if that Irish guy may decide it if he is victorious on July 11. Why not? He’s up for the challenge, so we’d be up for the challenge.

“If he becomes victorious… in my opinion, it would be bigger (than the Topuria fight). It could very well be the biggest fight in UFC history if that was to happen. To be honest with you, (McGregor) brings so much to the table. If I had a wish list, that’s the one, because I want to get that one.”

Of course, a fight between Conor McGregor and Islam Makhachev would be about far more than just championship gold. Their rivalry is the latest chapter in McGregor’s long-running feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov and the Dagestani camp.

After ‘The Notorious’ attacked the former lightweight champion’s team bus in 2018, the two ultimately settled their feud at UFC 229. ‘The Eagle’ submitted the Irishman before a wild post-fight brawl spilled into the crowd.

Islam Makhachev was in Nurmagomedov’s corner that night and went on to become his protégé and successor as the lightweight and then the welterweight champion. Since then, the Dagestani phenom’s consistently backed his mentor, claiming ‘The Eagle’ “broke” Conor McGregor emotionally, while ‘The Notorious’ has continued to target both men over the years.

As a result, Javier Mendez reminisced about the original Dagestan vs. Ireland rivalry, describing it as an unforgettable experience that he wishes to recreate.

“I want to get that one again,” he added. “That feeling of being booed when we go out to the audience was pretty cool, actually, because they booed us, but they loved us.

“When Khabib fought, he was booed but loved, so it was kind of cool.”

For ‘The Notorious,’ the interest is completely mutual. During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Conor McGregor made it clear that his final UFC run is all about winning gold and settling old scores, with a focus on Justin Gaethje and Islam Makhachev.

“I’d be after the belt for sure,” McGregor told Ariel Helwani. “I think Gaethje is, when he’s on, he’s good. He’s okay, but when he’s off, he’s atrocious. And, you know, I fancy him handily. I fancy teeing off on Gaethje.

“And Islam, there’s history there. It’s at 170. I know he’s fighting an Irishman, my fellow Irishman (Ian Garry), who I’ve also trained with, who I also know. I’m open for it, for sure. I am open for either.”

Of course, everything depends on International Fight Week. Conor McGregor enters the cage versus Holloway on July 11 as a major underdog, having only won once in the last 6 years, as he knocked out Donald Cerrone back in 2020. However, if ‘The Notorious’ can capture lightning in a bottle once again, the stage will be set for the biggest fights in combat sports history.

What remains a mystery is if it will take place in the welterweight or lightweight category. After all, the Irishman has already been keeping a close eye on the lightweight division’s changing landscape, and he wasn’t shy about weighing in on one of its biggest shakeups: Ilia Topuria’s stunning loss to ‘The Highlight’ at UFC Freedom 250.

Conor McGregor predicted Ilia Topuria’s massive upset at UFC White House

Even though the rest of the world was left stunned by Justin Gaethje’s knockout of ‘El Matador’ in Washington, D.C., Conor McGregor claims he saw the upset coming from a mile away.

Ilia Topuria entered his very first lightweight title defense as a massive favorite. However, Gaethje had other plans as he literally reshaped the Spanish-Georgian’s face, forcing Topuria’s camp to call the fight off after four rounds.

But while many saw it as a massive upset, Conor McGregor told Ariel Helwani that Ilia Topuria’s downfall was obvious based on the training clip he saw coming out of the Spaniard’s camp.

“I knew that was going to happen to him,” McGregor said. “I knew. I’d just seen the training. You need to get it put on you in the gym. If you’re not getting it put on you, I’ve been there myself. You have to kind of say, ‘Listen, there’s a thousand dollars cash outside the Octagon if you drop me.’

“That’s the kind of stuff you need to be doing. You need the guys coming at you. There was too much the other way. Walking forward, hands down…you’re gonna get walloped. He’s a bit flat-footed. He’s not a fully complete fighter. I’ve not been in that situation. He got banged up bad, which caused him to quit.”

Now, Ilia Topuria’s defeat to ‘The Highlight’ has drastically changed the lightweight scene, possibly putting his planned duel with Islam Makhachev on hold. For ‘The Notorious,’ that might lead to the war he’s been seeking for years.

But before he can think about the welterweight champion—or finally exacting revenge on the Dagestani camp—Conor McGregor must first pull off a stunning upset over Max Holloway at UFC 329.