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Islam Makhachev is preparing for the huge UFC 322 main event which takes place in a few days.
The Russian will be aiming to become the latest UFC double weight champion as he takes on Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight crown.
Makhachev is a former UFC lightweight champion and vacated his gold for this shot. However, his coach, Javier Mendez, already has an idea of who would be the Russian’s ideal first fight if he wins on Saturday.
Mendez was on Submission Radio and asked about Makhachev’s first title defence. The coach had an interesting name by suggesting Kamaru Usman as the first challenger:
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“If you look at everything, how things are, who is deserving of a title if we are to be successful, like I am planning on it. The one guy who deserves it more than everybody based on his title run when he was on the champ, Kamaru Usman. Look what he did with [Joaquin] Buckley, stopped the hype train and in impressive fashion.”
Mendez opened up about how he would not be keen on fighting Usman, but added that if it was what the UFC wanted, it would go ahead:
“For us it would such, we care a lot about the guy, but it’s a business and whatever is going to happen is going to happen.”
He also picked Belal Muhammad as an option, even though his team did not want to fight the former welterweight champion.
Check out Javier Mendez's comments from 24:00:
Kamaru Usman an interesting pick for title shot
While there is no denying Kamaru Usman’s legacy in the UFC, he is an interesting pick from Mendez.
‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ had an excellent run as the champion, but he hasn’t looked the same since losing to Leon Edwards at UFC 278.
He lost the rematch and then to Khamzat Chimaev before beating Buckley earlier in the year. That seems to have given the former champion the boost he needed for a title shot.
During a Q+A session before UFC 321, the former champion laid out a path where he would become a double champion soon:
"I'm sure that the real fans out there can agree that what would be spectacular... To go out there and win the welterweight title. Leave it, then move up [to] middleweight and take that title as well."
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