“Khabib and I were out hunting, shooting ducks”, – Islam Makhachev talks about the canceled fight with Tsarukyan, Topuria, Conor, and his dream of holding three titles [extensive interview]

Islam Makhachev shared his plans after his fourth title defense.

UFC lightweight champion and the leader of the pound-for-pound rankings, Islam Makhachev, gave an extensive interview to matchtv.ru. The fighter spoke about his relationship with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, and a potential bout with the featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.

He’s not planning to fight Topuria yet.

“I heard he’s having trouble making weight—he can’t hit the limit for his division anymore. Probably gained some fat from living too comfortably. He wants to vacate the belt and move up. But I’m not going to give him a shot right away because he hasn’t done all the work in his division. Only one title defense. There are still contenders he should have beaten, but he doesn’t want to cut weight anymore. So let him move up, earn his chance, and we’ll definitely fight.”

On a hypothetical fight with Conor:

“No, it’s not interesting at all. The most he can do now is punch an old man in a bar, get into arguments with women, or spit at someone. That’s the most he’s capable of at this point. He’s been washed up for a long time. Of course, it’s annoying (when Conor talks about Dagestan. — Ed.). But he’s already been held accountable for that, and it changed his life forever. He’ll never be the same as he was before the fight with Khabib. Everything happening to him now is because of his mental issues. He can’t forget what happened in the cage back then.”

On a belt in another weight class:
“I don’t want to stop fighting until I have a second belt on my shoulders. It doesn’t matter which weight class. It will be very hard (to cut down to 66 kilograms. — Ed.), although last time I cut a lot of weight, down to 69 kilograms. We even joked that I could drop another three kilos and move to 66, but I don’t want to do that. 70 kilograms is the optimal weight class for me—I make it without too much trouble, but not easily either. In Kislovodsk (during training camp. — Ed.), I was around 80 kilograms, now I’m at 83, maybe a bit more.”

“When I close my eyes, what do I see? I need a second belt! That’s my motivation right now, since I already have one championship. The hunger isn’t the same when you have a belt compared to when you don’t. You have to stay hungry. That’s what keeps me going, motivates me to go after that second belt.”

On the canceled fight with Tsarukyan:

“I wouldn’t say I was upset, but I was probably more prepared for this fight than for any other. Often, during training camps, some injuries happen. For example, in my fight with Poirier, I had a staph infection on my leg. But this camp went almost perfectly—I started early. If for Poirier it was 50 days, this time it was three months. I went to training camps in the mountains, trained at home in Makhachkala, flew to America early, and prepared. The weight cut went great. I was ready, if not 100 percent, then definitely 99 percent.”

On hunting with Khabib and his love for horses and motorcycles:

“Khabib and I went hunting, shooting ducks. It was his first or second time holding a gun, and he mostly filmed us on video. We shot three or four ducks, just enough for the frying pan.”

“It depends on the company (whether I prefer horses or motorcycles. — Ed.). If I’m alone, then 100 percent a horse. With a horse, you can go far. On a motorcycle, it’s kind of boring, but with a horse—a living being—it’s different.”

“My gear for my first motorcycle was more expensive than the motorcycle itself. I customized knee pads to fit my legs and bought the safest boots. The only thing I can fix is the oil air filter. It needs to be cleaned often. It’s a dirty job—your hands smell like oil and gasoline afterward. I always make sure my motorcycle is ready so that I don’t run into issues during rides in the mountains. Khabib was gifted a motorcycle once, but he gave it away to someone else.”

On raising children:
“These days, you need to pay attention to your children and family. Ten years ago, we grew up on the streets, and that could shape a decent man. But now everything is different. You can’t just let your child go and think they’ll grow up to be a good person. In today’s world, you have to raise your kids and keep an eye on everything. That’s what worries me the most.”

On the most valuable belt in his career:
“The Museum of Sports Glory is very big, with many belts and awards dating back to the USSR era. Many people have donated their medals to the museum. I think my UFC belt should be there so people can see it.”

“I’ve been saying for a while that I’d donate my gloves. After some time passed, I thought the belt would look better than the gloves. I gave away the gloves, the belt, and even the outfit I wore for one of my early fights. Maybe I’ll donate another belt somewhere. I’ll definitely keep one at home, but I’m not too attached to the others. The most valuable one to me is the one I earned in the fight with Charles Oliveira. That one, I’ll probably keep.”

On three championship belts:
“Why not? I’ve never seen anyone with one belt around their waist and two on their shoulders—that’s how you make history. Right now, I’m a UFC champion, and there are quite a few of those. Some say it’s impossible (to win three belts. — Ed.), while others say it’s possible. But I can say with 100 percent confidence—I have a real chance to win a third belt. If anyone can do it, it’s me.”

Islam Makhachev says that he has the best chance of becoming a three-division champion in the UFC 👀

Triple-champ status? 🏆🏆🏆 pic.twitter.com/Fm8tMFblhW

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 13, 2025