Islam Makhachev - trash talks and Quotes

“It would have to be a very good offer for me to start cutting back to 155 [pounds], because I'm not young in this sport anymore, and every weight cut takes years off your health. It's not as easy as before to cut weight - about potential fight against Ilia Topuria at Lightweight division”

“I think the UFC will decide soon. We have at least three or four contenders now. Soon, probably in about two weeks, it will be clear who the next challenger will be... [Garry] is a good fighter... [but] he didn't surprise me yesterday. If he surprised the UFC, then maybe he will be next -addressing Russian media, regarding potential welterweight title challengers Ian Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov.”

“[Rakhmonov] hasn't fought for over a year. A contender can't sit out for a year with injuries and then come fight for the belt... Well, if he recovers and the UFC decides he's next, why not? - Islam Makhachev, addressing Russian media, regarding potential welterweight title challengers Ian Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov”

“In the UFC, I think, they started working on this less [promoting fights]. In the UFC before, they would make a star out of anyone... Now, somehow, the UFC itself has lost interest. Dana is also already a big guy. He's involved in many other things too, you know - via UDAR KAMAL, commenting on the UFC's perceived reduction in effort toward promoting fighters and the busyness of Dana White.”

“If you want to gain extra kilos, follow DC program. Just one problem - he hates sharing his food. -via social media, joking about Daniel Cormier's diet and size”

“Jokes aside, Craig Jones needs to be fired. We have to make Australia great again! - mocked Jones after UFC 322 victory”

“I am surprised how this guy who smokes all day beat the former champion. -via the UFC 322 Post-Fight Press Conference, reacting to Carlos Prates' knockout win over Leon Edwards”

“I still think Kamaru can beat Morales and Prates both... Kamaru is still dangerous and one of the best in this game. If you give me the choice and ask me who you want to fight, I will say Kamaru -via the UFC's 'About Last Fight' show, explaining why he views former champion Kamaru Usman as a greater challenge than rising contenders Michael Morales and Carlos Prates, and stating Usman is his preferred next opponent.”

“Jack is still young, he's 28. Some people just begin fighting at the top level at 28. I know he's gonna come back, he's gonna improve his wrestling, and he has one of the best striking. He's gonna come back soon, and he's gonna be one of the best in this game - backing Jack Della Maddalena's future after their fight at UFC 322.”

“When you talk about someone for the last five years, when you meet them, you have to answer to what you said. And today, I don't think he answered, and he still says a lot of bad things about our team, and today when he came, somebody just met him, that's it - reacts to Dillon Danis Brawl at UFC 322”

“No injury. Nothing. I am ready... Let's do this. I will make it easy -via the UFC 322 Post-Fight Press Conference, on a potential superfight with Ilia Topuria.”

“Now we have two champions. We are the toughest country, the toughest republic, and we have the best fighters -via UFC, following his win at UFC 322”

“When you talk (bad) about someone for the last 5 years, when you meet them you have to answer what you said. Today I don't think he answered... He [has] to be banned from this country also -via the UFC 322 post-fight press conference, reacting to the cageside brawl involving Dillon Danis and his team”

“I told him 'your jiu-jitsu is not working. You should come to Dagestan for 2-3 years.' He started laughing and he told Khabib that he will come -via the UFC 322 Post-Fight Press Conference, revealing what he told Craig Jones after his fight with Jack Della Maddalena”

“No, this guy is never coming back. Khabib broke his mind, you know. This guy is never coming back; he is not going to fight anymore. I told this two years ago, and I still think he is not going to fight And now he has a disqualification from the anti-doping commission. That's why I think, mo. Maybe Jon Jones will come back to fight at the White House, but not Conor - via Complex News Podcast when asked about Conor McGregor's return.”

“No, this guy is never coming back. Khabib broke his mind, you know. This guy is never coming back; he is not going to fight anymore. I told this two years ago, and I still think he is not going to fight And now he has a disqualification from the anti-doping commission. That's why I think, mo. Maybe Jon Jones will come back to fight at the White House, but not Conor - via Complex News Podcast when asked about Conor McGregor's return.”

“It’s not working like this. When you bring someone for one camp or for two camps... I just give you a good example. I tell that yesterday... What about Khamzat fighting with DDP? [He] bring many coaches, many, many partners, but it didn’t help. It’s not working like this... I don’t think he even watch the wrestling match in the TV, you know? - mocks Dricus's wrestling skill via Daniel Cormier Youtube Channel”

“Today I saw a guy, Carlos Prates... he was eating Nutella cake at lunchtime in fight week. It’s something I never do. I understand I am bigger than this guy, you know. I don’t touch anything other than what the nutrition team gives me, and I still have to cut so much -via an episode of 'Anatomy of a Fighter', expressing surprise at Carlos Prates' food intake.”

“I don't think Craig is helping Jack with wrestling... It doesn't work like this... We have a good example in Chimaev vs. Du Plessis. Du Plessis brought a lot of wrestlers, but nothing worked. This is something that you have to do for many, many years -via Main Event TV, commenting on Jack Della Maddalena's wrestling preparation.”

“Defend the second belt maybe more times than Kamaru Usman, and enter the Hall of Fame - via UFC News, outlining his career goals after potentially winning a second title”

“I'll change the pound-for-pound rankings. Back to No.1, but this week, we will change...Myself, this guy [Alexandre] Pantoja, and [Tom] Aspinall, [Alexander] Volkanovski for sure, and [Ilia] Topuria - Islam Makhachev shares his top 5 pound for pound ranking via Adin Ross live stream”

“I'll change the pound-for-pound rankings. Back to No.1, but this week, we will change...Myself, this guy [Alexandre] Pantoja, and [Tom] Aspinall, [Alexander] Volkanovski for sure, and [Ilia] Topuria - Islam Makhachev shares his top 5 pound for pound ranking via Adin Ross live stream”

“I'll change the pound-for-pound rankings. Back to No.1, but this week, we will change...Myself, this guy [Alexandre] Pantoja, and [Tom] Aspinall, [Alexander] Volkanovski for sure, and [Ilia] Topuria - Islam Makhachev shares his top 5 pound for pound ranking via Adin Ross live stream”

“I'll change the pound-for-pound rankings. Back to No.1, but this week, we will change...Myself, this guy [Alexandre] Pantoja, and [Tom] Aspinall, [Alexander] Volkanovski for sure, and [Ilia] Topuria - Islam Makhachev shares his top 5 pound for pound ranking via Adin Ross live stream”

“Khabib is like my older brother. If he told me, for example, ‘Hey, you have to stop tomorrow, no more fighting’, I would listen to him... He’s the guy in our gym who takes care of us, who controls us and always wishes us the best, he knows how to make the champions, not just in the gym, in my life, he did everything for me - via WEIGHING IN podcast, revealing he would retire instantly if advised to do so by his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov”

“After the fight, everybody told me Ankalaev wasn't training for the last three months. He had a rib injury. When you don't have sparring [sessions] three times a week, it's hard to go to the cage and fight. That's why I think it happened [the TKO loss]. I think they deserve to fight one more time because Ankalaev says, 'I don't want to pull out because I want to save the main event.' He's good [Pereira], but I believe Ankalaev has more skills -via a conversation with streamer Adin Ross, making a case for a trilogy fight based on Ankalaev's injury.”

“It's going to happen. It is maybe the biggest fight. Biggest fight everybody knows it, and I also want it, and I think next year [2026] is the best time - via Adin Ross's YouTube Channel, expressing interest in fighting Ilia Topuria”

“If wrestling doesn't work, I'll strike with him. Honestly, this is one of the hardest fights for me because he's big and good everywhere. Maybe he doesn't have good wrestling defense, but his grappling is good. -via the WEIGHING IN YouTube Channel, discussing about Jack Della Maddalena.”

“I will show you guys who the best fighter in the world is. For my legacy, the second belt is important -on pursuing a second belt and the P4P spot, via UFC.”

“I think so. It would be nice. The fans are interested, and so am I. This fight is the main thing that people are talking about.[I'll be doing it for the fans] How can it be interesting to me? What will I gain by going down to 155 [pounds] and beating Topuria? Win the belt again? I already have it. The fans are mostly interested in it. I'm not interested in cutting down to 155 [pounds] and torturing myself again. I'm interested in fighting at 170 [pounds], eating, enjoying the camp, and fighting - answered questions about a potential Ilia Topuria fight, via Match TV.”

“What can you scare Volkanovski with? I don't think anyone can scare him -asked if his rivals fear him, replied via Match TV”

“Now I don't know who's gonna be next for Ilia. Maybe Arman, maybe Gaethje, but not Paddy, for sure. Paddy beat who? Tony Ferguson? Who else he beat? [Michael] Chandler? Everybody beat Chandler. He can do some things, but I don’t see a big chance. I don’t know, maybe, honestly it’s not a big challenge for Topuria. Arman is a really big deal. If he beats Arman, because Arman has good skills striking, wrestling, grappling, he’s a good fighter. Paddy, nobody checked Paddy before- laughs at Paddy Pimblett getting title shot against Ilia Topuria”

“This is a stupid question. He’s my brother...If he didn’t want me to beat his record, he would never help me. He’s been away from his family for two months. It’s his dream to make new champions in our gym. One day, he told me he does all this because if one guy becomes a champion, it changes the lives of many people around him. He told me, ‘It’s my dream to help people, and when I help someone, I can help his family, friends, and everyone around him.’ That’s why I don’t like to answer questions about beating Khabib’s record and all that.- dismissing comparison to Khabib via ESPN MMA”

“It’s not a question I want to answer, like I beat Khabib’s record or something like this. It’s all about Abdulmanap’s legacy, our coach who is not with us right now. After ten or fifteen years, people will understand what he did for our country, for MMA, for sports. Even now, new champions in other organizations are training under his students. It has become a very big school. The only thing I miss is that he’s not in the cage with us when we win the belt. I think he’s proud of us- dismissing comparison to Khabib via ESPN MMA”

“I watched all of his fights. He's good. Striking is good. His boxing is very good and his wrestling not so good, but he [is] good in the ground. He knows how to defend, how to escape, [and] how to get up... I saw his defence, you know, lot of guys take him down. All his opponents in the UFC take him down, but he feels good on the ground. When somebody takes him down, he [doesn't] panic, [doesn't make] mistakes. -praises JDM's ground game ahead of UFC 322 via Home of Fight”

“If you’re talking about our fight, I have a good fight now and I know he’s going to fight soon and we’ll see what’s going to happen. He wants to fight at the White House and I also want to be there. For the MMA community, it’s going to be a big fight. People want this fight and if UFC wants this fight, then we can do this...I know UFC wants to do some big fight in White House. Which fight is going to be bigger than this? -callout to fight Ilia Topuria at the UFC White House PPV next year via ESPN MMA”

“Azamat Murkanov Real deal Congrats brother - reacted to Azamat Murkanov win at UFC 321”

“Win or lose, Ruffy has zero grappling”

“Train more, speak less that's the key to success #UFCParis”

“Dominant performance Imavov Congrats bro”