Javier Mendez gave a clear answer on the Islam Makhachev vs. Max Holloway idea: if the UFC asks for it at 170 pounds, Mendez expects Makhachev to accept.
The question came after Holloway left UFC 329 with another win over Conor McGregor. The finish was unsatisfying because McGregor’s knee failed early, but Holloway’s name still moved into bigger welterweight talk afterward. One of those names was Makhachev, who is preparing for Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330.
Mendez first made it clear that Makhachev is already in camp and in the right condition for the fight that is actually scheduled.
“Islam just arrived 2 days ago, 3 days ago, I’m sorry, 3 days ago and he’s in great spirits, looks fantastic.”
“He’s a professional through and through and he’s always taking care of his body and does everything he needs to do to keep on top of everything.”
That matters because the Holloway question was not asked in a vacuum. Mendez was also talking about the McGregor fight falling apart and the way Holloway handled the injury. He praised Holloway for backing away instead of trying to turn a compromised opponent into an easy finish.
“You got to give all the credit due to Max willing to step aside and go, ‘Look, man, the guy’s injured, you know, pay attention to his injury. I don’t want, you know.’ He could have easily capitalized on that. He didn’t.”
“What a warrior he was by acknowledging that he wants a fair fight and he knows it wasn’t a fair fight, so I respected that from Max immensely.”
Mendez Says The Lost McGregor Path Was A Big One
Before Holloway’s name came up as a possible Makhachev opponent, Mendez said he had wanted the McGregor path because of the size and history of a potential Makhachev-McGregor event. He did not pretend it was just another matchup.
“Bummer. I mean I wanted that fight because, look, listen, we as coaches, we live for those moments to have an opportunity to deal with something like that, that magnitude.”
“I’d like to be there when I was there for Brock Lesnar and Cain Velasquez. That was such a huge one, you know, Jon Jones, DC, you know, and so the Khabib and Conor. I mean, there’s been some big ones I’ve been involved in.”
Mendez said McGregor’s drawing power was the part that made the scenario different. The point was not that McGregor had earned a title shot through UFC 329. It was that a win over Holloway could have created the kind of event Makhachev’s team would have been willing to entertain.
“Because he was the only one that could really tip the scales at another level and we all know that. We can’t fool ourselves. There is nobody that can do what that guy can do.”
“Yeah, of course, you know, it was the magnitude of that fight and the history between the camps, you know, so there was a lot on. They would have made a really great entertaining bout had it materialized.”
Mendez discussed the possible Makhachev paths in an interview with Submission Radio.
Max Holloway Gets Respect, But Not The Front Of The Line
The most direct Holloway answer came when Mendez was asked about Holloway mentioning 170 and possibly fighting Makhachev. The question included the obvious grappling concern after Holloway’s earlier loss to Charles Oliveira. Mendez did not argue that Holloway would be favored. He said the UFC’s call would be enough for Makhachev, and Holloway’s willingness makes him hard to dismiss.
“I mean, whatever the UFC wants to do, you know, Islam’s going to say yes.”
“Max is a legend and he doesn’t back down from anybody. You know, he’d fight DC if he had an opportunity and he’d love doing it.”
“You can’t cross Max out in any any, you know, competition because he’s game. Whether he does well or not, well, I don’t know.”
“He’s game for it, so you can never cross him out. He’s got the mind of a warrior and the, you know, the mindset of a champion. So, he was up for any challenge. I believe anyways that Max is up for any challenge.”
That is the clean read of Mendez’s answer. Makhachev would not reject Holloway if the UFC wanted the fight, and Mendez respects Holloway’s attitude enough not to laugh off the idea. At the same time, he did not move Holloway ahead of Garry or turn the matchup into a prediction.
Mendez made that point when the conversation returned to McGregor and the larger welterweight title picture. Even if McGregor had beaten Holloway and even if the UFC wanted a bigger-money fight afterward, Mendez said Makhachev’s team still had to handle the signed contender first.
“But again, you know, we’re getting too far ahead of ourselves because, you know, if Conor would have gone through what he needed to do, we need to get through Ian Garry too.”
“So, it’s not like we can ignore Ian Garry. No, we’re not, no way in hell we’re not. He’s a number one contender for a reason and he’s there for a reason. We have to respect him.”
“We’re talking about Conor now, but really our focus has never been on Conor. It’s been on Ian Garry.”
That is why Garry belongs in the body, not the headline. The news is Mendez saying Makhachev would say yes to Holloway if the UFC wanted that fight. Garry is the reason the answer remains hypothetical: Makhachev already has the first welterweight title defense in front of him, and Daniel Cormier has warned that Garry’s plan against Makhachev could become a bad night if he spends too long defending takedowns.
