UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will not hesitate to fight Conor McGregor, despite admitting the former two-division champion will not be much of a challenge. In a recent interview with former champions Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo on their ‘Pound 4 Pound’ Podcast on YouTube, the 155-pound champion was asked if he would fight ‘Mac’ if given the opportunity.

The Dagestani was totally on board and told Cejudo, “Brother, why not?” adding that people “have to be stupid [to] say no [to fighting Conor McGregor]. Of course, I will fight with him” because of the massive payday it will mean. McGregor, of course, is gearing up to fight Michael Chandler in his upcoming UFC 303 comeback bout after three years of inactivity.

And while Makhachev will not turn down a fight with MMA’s biggest star ever, he felt the Irishman would be an easy opponent, given his decline in form and general athletic ability since his legendary UFC 229 clash against Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev’s dear friend and mentor. The reigning champ, not wanting to bad mouth ‘The Notorious’, felt that the lifestyle choices McGregor had made since then had ensured that McGregor was no longer the same fighter he once was.

“Brother, when will I fight next? October or November. I can fight August or September with McGregor. Same night brother, easy. This guy not same. I don’t want to him look bad, but everybody know this guy not same [fighter he was] before. Yeah, for sure when he was fighting with Khabib, he’s in the good shape, you know he is a high-level fighter. But right now, it’s too much alcohol, too much whiskey and it’s not the same,” Makhachev said.

Right now, however, the Dagestani is completely focused on his upcoming fight with lightweight legend Dustin ‘Diamond’ Poirier, who after a fantastic victory earlier this year and the unavailability of any other top lightweight prospect, finds himself in another title bout in three years. Makhachev, however, is not worried.

Islam Makhachev vows to put the ‘Diamond’ on his belt

In a development that would have invited disbelief from UFC fans until last year, Islam Makhachev will take on Dustin Poirier at the top of UFC 302 on June 1. This will be the 155-pound champion’s first title defense against a fellow lightweight since he took the crown off Charles Oliveira at their UFC 280 clash two years ago.

And Makhachev is supremely confident of victory. While he acknowledged that ‘Diamond’ had “very heavy hands and very good guillotine,” he was not worried since Poirier did not have much of a ground game.

“Wrestling and grappling… everybody know this, and he have always problem when somebody take him down hold his back,” the lightweight king told Usman and Cejudo. Makhachev promised that since Poirier’s moniker was ‘Diamond’, “I have to go, first June take the diamond and put it in my belt.”

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