Islam
Makhachev is denying Dana White’s
claim that he turned down a short-notice matchup with Rafael dos
Anjos at UFC 272 this past weekend.
Dos Anjos needed an opponent on less than one week’s notice after
Rafael
Fiziev tested positive for COVID-19. For a short period, it
looked as though dos Anjos and Makhachev would square off in the
UFC 272 co-main event at 170 pounds. Ultimately, it was Renato
Carneiro who agreed to step in, and the UFC president said
Makhachev was unwilling to take the fight.
“Pretty close – I thought we had it done,” White said last week.
“When I went to bed one of the nights, I thought it was done. Woke
up the next morning and found out they turned it down. Islam
[turned it down]. No clue [why].”
According to Makhachev, that’s not at all what happened.
“I was in California on vacation, and I called my manager and said, ‘Please call the UFC, I am ready to take this fight,'” Makhachev
told
ESPN. “I asked about some conditions, very small conditions,
nothing big or not possible to do. It was not the UFC calling me. I
wanted this fight, but the UFC did not do it. That’s it.”
Makhachev would not specify exactly what those “very small
conditions” were, and it is unclear if those were a sticking point
for the UFC, or if other factors were involved. White also said
that Makhachev will now likely be rebooked against Beneil
Dariush — about that fell through at UFC Fight Night 202 —
rather than be anointed as the next No. 1 contender at 155 pounds.
Makhachev dismantled replacement opponent Bobby Green
inside of a round in the new main event on March 26.
Makhachev is willing to face any opponent — after he becomes
champion. Until then, he believes he should be next in line to face
the winner of the Charles
Oliveira–Justin
Gaethje title bout scheduled for UFC 274.
“(White) can say whatever he wants, it doesn’t matter,” Makhachev
said. “I’m going to fight anyone, because I’m going to be a
champion and I’ll fight all the Top 10. I’m going to beat all these
guys. When I take this belt, I’m going to beat dos Anjos, all these
guys, but UFC has a show in Abu Dhabi [in the fall] and I think I’m
deserving.
“If (current champion) Charles
Oliveira beats Justin
Gaethje (in May), it would be an 11-fight win streak vs.
10-fight win streak. This is similar to Khabib vs. Tony
Ferguson. This is biggest fight in lightweight division.”