Makhachev demands Ferguson to prove that Tony is not on the level of Khabib

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Islam Makhachev is a tough guy to fight for, with an endless list of light weightlifters who are said to refuse to face Khabib Nurmagomedov’s officially appointed successor in the cage. And on Saturday at UFC Vegas 31, we found out why.

While Islam didn’t quite live up to the trotting hype (and let’s be honest, who can), he did a one-sided act for Thiago Moises in the UFC APEX Tag main event before ending things with a naked rear choke in the fourth turn (watch the highlights here).

After that, the cheerful Makhachev summoned a long list of potential opponents: Rafael dos Anjos, Michael Chandler and even Conor McGregor.

Makhachev’s team takes pictures of victory after the fight in the back. Makhachev’s director told me that this fight – Islam against Connor – is now a “battle of dreams”. He says he will finish all the remaining business between the two teams. https://t.co/SeO7VJ6dLe

— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) July 18, 2021

But when asked at the post-fight press conference at UFC Vegas 31, Islam shared his first real pick for the next fight: Tony Ferguson.

“If they give me a choice, let’s do it with Tony,” said Makhachev. “Because we have a good history with him. Khabib was supposed to fight with him five or six times? Let’s finish this, you know? I’m going to finish this. And I’m going to show people all over the world Tony and not Khabib’s level. People don’t understand how Khabib was pressured. I can’t To explain to you guys but you know everything.”

“Let’s make this year’s end. Another fight, I’ll finish another fight, and eventually I’ll be Fighter of the Year.”

That’s going to be tough considering the year Kamaru Usman has, but a guy can dream, right? Islam Makhchaev is now 2-0 in 2021 with submissions expiring twice. Both were a dominant win, but then again…when the management team and coaches grab you with a measuring stick like Khabib, it makes people see all the elements that don’t belong in Khabib.

Makhachev might not get any of his picks, which is too bad because the RDA fight would be utter nonsense. Instead, UFC President Dana White relayed to Yahoo Sports reporter Kevin Ewell that #3 lightweight welterweight Neil Derios was the favorite as the next contender.

“Dariush, Beniel is a really good fighter,” said Makhachev. “If they gave me Bennell, it would be a good fight. He’s a nice guy, I know him a bit. He’s number three, which is a big step for me too. He’s more powerful than those other guys I call.”

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