Javier Mendez wants Islam Makhachev vs Kamaru Usman if he wins at UFC 322
Javier Mendez wants to see Islam Makhachev vs Kamaru Usman if the challenger wins the belt at UFC 322.
This weekend, Islam Makhachev will challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC welterweight championship. While it’s somewhat foolish to look past someone as talented as JDM, there’s also a sense in the air for many that Islam is destined to win a second world title.
Of course, that’s going to be easier said than done, but if he does, plenty of welterweights will be waiting to challenge him. In addition to the other two blockbuster welterweight fights at UFC 322, there’s one man who feels like he deserves a shot to reclaim his throne – and that man is Kamaru Usman.
Folllowing his win over Joaquin Buckley, Usman has made it clear that he wants to go after the welterweight strap once again. In a recent interview, Makhachev’s head coach Javier Mendez had the following to say about this idea, and he also listed a few other potential opponents.
Mendez wants to see Makhachev vs Usman
“The one guy I think probably deserves it more than everybody, based on his title run when he was the champ, is Kamaru Usman,” Mendez told Submission Radio. “Look what he just did with (Joaquin) Buckley. He stopped the hype train, and did it in impressive fashion. So I would think that his hat has got to be in there as a contender for that title. His title run, being the greatest welterweight of all time, in my opinion, has got to be in there, too.
“For us, it would suck because we care a lot about the guy, but it’s a business, and whatever is going to happen is going to happen. Even Belal (Muhammad), it is what it is. We didn’t want to fight Belal, but what if Belal wins and we win, and all of a sudden we get offered a fight with him? It’s going to be up to the fighters to decide, but it’s going to suck for us on both of those, if any of those happen.”
“If you’re asking me what the fans are going to want to see, I’m going to have to go with Topuria,” Mendez said. “If we manage to get the win like we’re expecting and wanting to, I would think that Dana (White) is all about creating the most, biggest buzz, and I think the biggest buzz is Topuria if he goes up in weight – if that’s what happens. So right now, I can see so many different scenarios happening, but those two are the top of the list, in my opinion.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Topics:
Islam Makhachev Javier Mendez Kamaru Usman UFC
