Stephen A. Smith does not want to see Conor McGregor fight the UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Coach Javier Mendez said he would like Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) to fight McGregor someday after McGregor brought to light the staph infection he suffered during his training camp at UFC 302. Makhachev ended up submitting Dustin Poirier last Saturday to retain his title in what turned out to be a grueling main event.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) is set to return on June 29 against Michael Chandler in the main event of UFC 303, with many believing a title shot could be his if he is victorious.
“Conor starts complaining, starting to create drama with Islam,” said Mendez Red Corner MMA. “Which is good because Conor is the kind of guy you want to root for or cheer against. Regardless, everyone wants to see him, I want to see him defeated by Islam.
“So for me, what he’s doing is getting a lot of attention, so there would be nothing better for me and Khabib (Nurmagomedov) than to have Islam fight him at some point. He mentioned that staph, which is very observant of him, to be honest with you. The only thing is that he observed it too late. By the time he mentioned it, it had already been three weeks.”
However, after seeing Khabib Nurmagomedov dominates and submits McGregor in the 2018 title fight, Smith believes McGregor should have wanted no part of Makhachev.
“I was in Las Vegas for the Conor McGregor-Khabib Nurmagomedov fight,” Smith said on ESPN’s “First Take” (h/t Championship rounds). “It was one of the biggest events I have ever participated in in my life. It was unreal.
“But what we learned in this fight is that Conor McGregor has nothing to do with being in the octagon against a grappler, which is what Makhachev (is). This brother here is special and he’s not going to try to attack Conor McGregor.”
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