UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier suggests that Conor McGregor should fight Islam Makhachev next, arguing that it would be the biggest money fight and could elevate Makhachev’s superstar status, despite McGregor’s recent losses and Makhachev’s dominant record.
Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, Daniel Cormier, and Ryan Clark are all weighing in on who should be Islam Makhachev’s next opponent. Following Makhachev’s impressive victory over Alexander Volkanovski, Cormier expressed his opinion on the matter. He believes that Makhachev should face Conor McGregor in his next fight, citing it as the biggest money-making bout the UFC could arrange.
McGregor has not fought in over two years since suffering a devastating broken leg in his last match against Dustin Poirier. While he has a scheduled fight against Michael Chandler, Cormier argues that facing Makhachev directly for the title makes more sense and would benefit both fighters and the UFC. Cormier points out the impact that fighting McGregor had on Poirier and Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s careers, stating that a victory against McGregor would take Makhachev to the next level of superstardom.
Although McGregor’s rivalry with Nurmagomedov led to a hugely successful pay-per-view event, there are obstacles that could prevent a fight between McGregor and Makhachev from happening. One of the main challenges would be McGregor’s recent lackluster performance, with a 1-3 record in his last four fights. In contrast, Makhachev has not lost a match in over eight years, establishing himself as one of the most dominant fighters in the UFC.
Regardless of the challenges, Cormier believes that McGregor’s fanbase and their belief in his abilities would make the fight sellable. He points to how many people believed McGregor could defeat Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match as evidence that McGregor fighting Makhachev could also be marketed successfully. However, Cormier’s co-host, Ryan Clark, strongly disagrees with this suggestion, arguing that McGregor does not deserve the fight based on his recent performance. Clark accuses Cormier of pushing for the fight to elevate his friend, Makhachev, and says that McGregor’s victory would have little impact on the UFC.
Overall, the debate revolves around whether Makhachev should face McGregor as his next opponent, with Cormier and Clark holding differing opinions. Cormier argues for the financial and career benefits it could bring, while Clark believes McGregor is not deserving and that the fight would not generate significant interest.