Islam Makhachev insists he wanted to fight Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 272

UFC lightweight Islam Makhachev has given his version of events following the controversy surrounding his proposed fight against Rafael dos Anjos.

When news first broke that Rafael Fiziev was out of his UFC 272 co-main event with Rafael dos Anjos, the immediate feeling was one of disappointment. However, within just hours, a flock of fighters were throwing their name into the hat in an attempt to take on the former champion. In the end it seemed as if Islam Makhachev, less than a week removed from a win over Bobby Green, would be stepping up to try and finally meet RDA after their own bout had been cancelled on several occasions.

Alas, the UFC opted to go in a different direction with Renato Moicano getting the call instead.

UFC president Dana White claimed during the post-fight press conference, and after a dominant dos Anjos win, that Makhachev had turned the fight down.

The Russian sensation has now questioned the nature of White’s remarks during an interview with ESPN.

“I was in California on vacation, and I called my manager and said, ‘Please call the UFC, I am ready to take this fight,'” Makhachev said. “I asked about some conditions, very small conditions, nothing big or not possible to do. It was not the UFC calling me. I wanted this fight, but the UFC did not do it. That’s it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2x_EPHbo14

A 10-fight win streak would usually be enough to warrant a shot at the UFC lightweight championship. However, with Conor McGregor still casting a shadow over the division, White has suggested that Makhachev needs to fight and defeat Beneil Dariush before battling the winner of Charles Oliveira vs Justin Gaethje for the strap.

Dariush was the original opponent for Makhachev at UFC Vegas 49 before