Coach Javier Mendez says Islam Makhachev would accept Max Holloway fight
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight champion Islam
Makhachev's coach, Javier Mendez, claims his pupil is open to a
fight against Max
Holloway.
This comes after Holloway’s win at UFC 329, where he faced Conor McGregor at welterweight. “Blessed” emerged victorious, albeit with their rematch ending in anticlimactic fashion as McGregor suffered an early injury. Mendez believes that neither Makhachev nor Holloway would refuse a matchup against the other.
Ahead of his UFC 329 bout on July 11, Holloway expressed his desire to fight Makhachev. Despite being beaten and thoroughly outgrappled by Charles Oliveira earlier this year, Mendez knows that Holloway will not stop pursuing a fight with the current 170-pound king. He also believes that his fighter would not back down from the challenge if UFC pushes for it.
“Whatever the UFC wants to do, Islam’s going to say yes and Max is a legend and he doesn’t back down from anybody… You can’t cross Max out in any competition because he’s game,” Mendez told Submission Radio. “Whether he does well or not, well, I don’t know. But he’s game for it, so you can’t ever cross him out. He’s got the mind of a warrior and the mindset of a champion, so he’s up for any challenge, I feel.”
A McGregor victory could have strengthened the possibility of a future bout between the Irishman and Makhachev, but that matchup is now highly unlikely. The American Kickboxing Academy coach further expressed that he was disappointed with the result of UFC 329’s headliner.
“Bummer. I mean, I wanted that fight because, look, listen, we as coaches, we live for those moments to have an opportunity to be with something like that, that magnitude,” Mendez said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have quite a few of them, so to have another mega fight like that around the corner, potentially, that would have been a great honor.”
This comes after Holloway’s win at UFC 329, where he faced Conor McGregor at welterweight. “Blessed” emerged victorious, albeit with their rematch ending in anticlimactic fashion as McGregor suffered an early injury. Mendez believes that neither Makhachev nor Holloway would refuse a matchup against the other.
Javier Mendez discusses a potential Islam Makhachev vs. Max Holloway UFC matchup after UFC 329
Ahead of his UFC 329 bout on July 11, Holloway expressed his desire to fight Makhachev. Despite being beaten and thoroughly outgrappled by Charles Oliveira earlier this year, Mendez knows that Holloway will not stop pursuing a fight with the current 170-pound king. He also believes that his fighter would not back down from the challenge if UFC pushes for it.
“Whatever the UFC wants to do, Islam’s going to say yes and Max is a legend and he doesn’t back down from anybody… You can’t cross Max out in any competition because he’s game,” Mendez told Submission Radio. “Whether he does well or not, well, I don’t know. But he’s game for it, so you can’t ever cross him out. He’s got the mind of a warrior and the mindset of a champion, so he’s up for any challenge, I feel.”
‘I wanted that fight’: Javier Mendez on potential Conor McGregor fight for Islam Makhachev
A McGregor victory could have strengthened the possibility of a future bout between the Irishman and Makhachev, but that matchup is now highly unlikely. The American Kickboxing Academy coach further expressed that he was disappointed with the result of UFC 329’s headliner.
“Bummer. I mean, I wanted that fight because, look, listen, we as coaches, we live for those moments to have an opportunity to be with something like that, that magnitude,” Mendez said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to have quite a few of them, so to have another mega fight like that around the corner, potentially, that would have been a great honor.”
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