UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev got under the skin of not one, but two of the promotion’s biggest names.
On Saturday night, the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ will return to the Octagon for a highly anticipated rematch with reigning featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski. Originally, Makhachev was scheduled to square off with Charles Oliveira in the UFC 294 headliner, but after ‘Do Bronx’ suffered an injury while sparring, Volkanovski agreed to step in and run back their Fight of the Year contender from February.
At the time of their first meeting at UFC 284, it was a historic moment for the promotion’s 30-year history as it was the first time that the No. 1 and No. 2 ranked fighters in the world went toe-to-toe. After 25 minutes of intense action, Makhachev, the No. 2 ranked fighter in the world at the time, earned a unanimous decision victory, though it did come with a bit of controversy as many, including Joe Rogan, believed ‘The Great’ did enough to dethrone Makhachev.
Since then, UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones has returned to take over the No. 1 spot, pushing Volkanovski to No. 2 and Makhachev to No. 3. Speaking about the current pound-for-pound rankings, Makhachev was notably frustrated by the fact that Jones, who has fought once in the last five years, is sitting atop the list.
“This is what UFC champions have to do,” Makhachev said at Wednesday’s UFC 294 media day. “If you’re a real champion, you have to take fight, doesn’t matter how many days, who it’s going to be. Not like your pound-for-pound champion when they give him Chael Sonnen. If you’re a real champion, you have to fight.
“They put him (Jon Jones) No.1, the No. 1 guy right now, (but) who he beat in his last five fights? We don’t have some names in the top pound-for-pound rankings. I just want to say about the rankings and all these things, this is bullsh*t, and I’m not following anymore.”
Getting wind of Makhachev’s comments, Jon Jones responded on social media and made it clear that he holds no animosity towards the lightweight king despite the less-than-favorable comments directed toward him.
“I wish you all the best Habibi @MAKHACHEVMMA,” Jones wrote in response.
I wish you all the best Habibi @MAKHACHEVMMA
— BONY (@JonnyBones) October 18, 2023
In a follow-up post, Jones said:
“As far as the fight, may the best man win. I was just talking about in life. Islam made some negative comments recently. No need for me to respond with negativity. I have bigger fish to fry right now.”
As far as the fight, may the best man win. I was just talking about in life. Islam made some negative comments recently. No need for me to respond with negativity. I have bigger fish to fry right now. https://t.co/fF0OJI9iYy
— BONY (@JonnyBones) October 18, 2023
Conor McGregor Slams Islam Makhachev in Scathing Response
While Jon Jones opted to take the high road in his response, you’ll get no such thing from Irish megastar Conor McGregor, who reacted to Makhachev’s comments in his own unique way.
“This guy is a gumbeen,” McGregor wrote. “This is what happens when cousins have sex and have a child together. This is the result.”
Just in case you’re not familiar with the term, a gumbeen is Irish slang for a stupid and/or ignorant person.
McGregor’s reaction to Makhachev’s comments isn’t all that surprising considering the Irishman’s never-ending rivalry with Makhachev’s mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Squaring off at UFC 229, ‘The Eagle’ scored a fourth-round rear naked choke submission against McGregor in their one and only meeting inside the Octagon. The event still stands as the highest-grossing pay-per-view in promotional history, netting 2.4 million buys.
