Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion Islam Makhachev said he will not be the runner-up to former promotional champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in his fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294. TSN.
“We have 30-35 fighters on the team, everyone is equally valuable to Khabib. There is no such thing as “I am the champion, the others are not that good”. For Khabib, everyone is valuable and everyone is equal. If he becomes my second, then he has to travel the world will remain, for the others he will have to come second,” said Makhachev.
Khabib Nurmagomedov had his last fight in the fall of 2020, defeating American Justin Gaethje. Immediately after the fight, he announced his retirement from his professional career, explaining that he had promised his mother that he would not fight without his father. After finishing his career, Nurmagomedov founded the Eagle FC promotion.
The athlete had 29 fights in MMA and won each of them. As a result of the survey conducted by the Public Opinion Foundation in 2021, the Russian was chosen as the person of the year in sports.
Islam Makhachev will defend his UFC lightweight title against Australian Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi on October 21.
Previously Makhachev saidThe difference between Volkanovski and Oliveira.