For years, the thought of Islam Makhachev following in the footsteps of his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, to eventually challenge Conor McGregor remained a possibility that enticed MMA fans. Yet, so far, that possibility has seemingly been restricted to a fight in the UFC cage. But now, the Dagestani champion has broadened the horizon of his desire to fight the Irishman by calling him out for a boxing match.

In a recent interview with Ushatayka, the UFC welterweight champion claimed that he could beat Conor McGregor wearing boxing gloves, pointing out that the Dublin native is only dangerous with his hands in the first round.

“Well, if I say he is not dangerous at all, that would be wrong,” Makhachev said. “Yes, he is dangerous in the first round. But after that, I don’t think he has any chance. I don’t know. When it comes to boxing, they pay very good money. Honestly, regardless of the purse, I would box. Specifically against Conor, yes.”

When it comes to pure boxing, Conor McGregor, at his prime, was considered among the best, at least in the UFC. However, there’s a glaring weakness in the Irishman’s game that his opponent used in their favor. ‘The Notorious’ cardio tends to drop after the first couple of rounds, and we’ve seen that in several of his fights.

At UFC 196, McGregor’s high output in the first round left him weary in the second, allowing Nate Diaz to land clean shots and eventually submit him. In their rematch at UFC 202, the former two-division champion was able to march through five rounds and beat Diaz by unanimous decision. But by the third round, McGregor looked considerably slower with his punches.

In fact, Floyd Mayweather’s game plan in their 2017 fight was to tire out the Irishman and look for a late knockout, which he eventually delivered in the 10th round.

With those instances in mind, Makhachev feels he can actually defeat McGregor in a boxing match, showing confidence in his own cardio. The Dagestani showed some decent boxing skills against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. But the 170-pound champion’s desire to face the Irishman isn’t new, as he’s been plotting a clash with him for a long time.

Back in 2022, Makhachev said he would happily “smash” McGregor when he was still at lightweight. Well, that tension didn’t die down when he moved to welterweight. ‘The Notorious’ also expressed his desire to face the Makhachkala native for a “triple crown” fight upon his return in July. So, the tension has been brewing for several years now. 

However, Islam Makhachev’s potential clash against Conor McGregor gained fresh momentum after he recently met with Turki Alalshikh. 

Islam Makhachev reveals Turki Alalshikh’s interest in Conor McGregor boxing match 

Recently, the Dagestani champion revealed that he met with Turki Alalshikh at a Zuffa Boxing event. He disclosed that Alalshikh had Conor McGregor on a video call, where the two traded words with each other. After the interaction, Makhachev revealed that His Excellency also offered him a boxing fight against McGregor.

“I was at the Zuffa Boxing event. The tournament was held in New York, while we were living in New Jersey. We met Dana White there. We met Turki Alalshikh there too. When Turki gave McGregor a video call, we made a sort of face-to-face on the phone. Turki offered me a boxing bout, and I said, ‘Why not?’ I’m ready for any offer.”

As expected, Islam Makhachev is open to fighting Conor McGregor in a boxing bout. However, the possibility of this fight coming to fruition appears very slim. Currently, the Dagestani champion has contenders like Carlos Prates, Michael Morales, and several other 170-pound fighters waiting for their chance. In that case, the UFC might not entertain a matchup that offers Makhachev little beyond a lucrative payday.

Plus, Conor McGregor has one fight left under his contract, and he has already made it clear that he wants to fight in BKFC once his UFC deal ends. So, negotiations could become even more complicated. But interestingly, ‘The Notorious’ isn’t the only fighter the Dagestani has called out. Makhachev previously called out Floyd Mayweather after beating Nick Lentz at UFC 208.

Though he didn’t clarify whether the callout was for a boxing match or an MMA fight, it’s safe to say he wouldn’t mind either. That said, it would be interesting to see whether Makhachev eventually ventures into boxing after he fulfills his ambitions in the UFC.