Javier Mendez isn’t upset to see a superfight between UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria jeopardized.
Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) and Topuria (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) were on a collision course, but the promotion failed to match up two of their biggest stars at UFC Freedom 250, with Makhachev claiming Topuria priced himself out.
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Instead, Topuria unified his lightweight title against interim champ Justin Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) but wound up suffering a stunning upset loss Sunday at the White House in Washington DC.
“I’m not disappointed at all,” Mendez told Submission Radio. “It’s in God’s plans. We just go along with whatever God plans for us to do, and it just means we move on forward. Let’s face it, Islam Makhachev has plenty of challengers in the welterweight division. We didn’t need Topuria for Islam to vault himself to another level.”
Makhachev defends his title against Ian Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in the UFC 330 headliner on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia (Paramount+). Makhachev’s head coach, Mendez, now has turned his attention to another UFC superstar.
“Maybe if that Irish guy (Conor McGregor) may decide, if he’s victorious on July 11, why not? He’s up for the challenge, so we’d be up for the challenge,” Mendez said.
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Conor McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) returns from a five-year layoff to rematch Max Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) in the UFC 329 headliner on July 11 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. He was asked about the idea of a title fight against Makhachev.
“Islam, there’s history there. It’s at 170,” McGregor said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I know he’s fighting my fellow Irishman, who I’ve also trained with, who I also know. I’m open for it, for sure.”
Mendez is certainly open for it, as well, after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s win over McGregor broke the UFC record for most pay-per-views sold in company history.
“If he becomes victorious, which for me, maybe I don’t want him to be victorious. But if he is victorious, then maybe if he wants, that’s something we could talk about,” Mendez said. “That would be just as big, if not bigger to be honest. If he’s victorious, in my opinion, it would be bigger. It could very well be the biggest fight in UFC history if that was to happen. To be honest with you, he brings so much to the table. If I had a wish list, that’s the one.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Islam Makhachev’s coach eyes Conor McGregor after Ilia Topuria loss
