Islam Makhachev, the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, has the record to justify his place at the top. Next month, at UFC 311 in Los Angeles, he will put his lightweight title on the line against Arman Tsarukyan.
Makhachev, a longtime friend and training partner of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s, is coached by Javier Mendez, who also guided Khabib throughout his career. Mendez believes history will repeat itself, predicting that the current champ will follow in “The Eagle’s” footsteps and retire early.
“He’s going to probably do what Khabib [Nurmagomedov] did and retire at 35,” Mendez said. “Well, Khabib did it a lot earlier, but I think 35 is the magic number for these guys. They have that in their head, that 35 is the cut-off point. Some will go over, but I think Islam is already set financially. He’s done really well with his money, so I think it will probably be lights out after 35.”
The UFC champion is currrently 33 years old. A matchup that has fans buzzing is a potential superfight between Makhachev and featherweight kingpin Ilia Topuria. However, Mendez has dismissed that bout as something they are not currently considering.
“I think it’s great that he’s motivated,” Mendez said of Topuria. “He’s a champion, for sure. He’s proven it. He’s gone up in weight. I also was told his coach said he was 187. Islam, I don’t think, has ever been that heavy. When he starts training camp about two months out, Islam is about 179, 178.
“The guy [Topuria] is a great fighter. He’s got the best boxing hands in the business, I feel — most technical. He can do a lot of damage if he goes up in weight, but I don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m not interested in that fight whatsoever at the present time. I’m interested in [Islam] defending against Arman, and then who knows — maybe the welterweight title will be available at that particular time.”
