Islam Makhachev vs. Kamaru Usman
Conversation between Islam Makhachev and Kamaru Usman
“If JDM [Della Maddalena] defends that title against Islam, who better to say OK, let's solidify him as the new generation of champion by taking on the biggest name, the former pound-for-pound in the division, of course, me.Of course, if Islam wins, pound-for-pound vs. pound-for-pound fighting, I mean, I'm not really worried here. I've done my job to let them know because they wanted to see, 'Hey, are you still that guy, can you still hang with these guys, can you still do your thing,' and I've done that. I went in there and showed them that. So, I'm not worried.”
“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 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.”
“When I look at a guy like Islam, I don't see holes [in his game], and that's something that scares me, that causes that heartbeat to go up - via the Pound 4 Pound podcast, expressing his view on Islam Makhachev's completeness as a fighter.”
“Islam knows how much I love him, and this is what brothers do - brothers make each other rich -via Anatomy of a Fighter, discussing his desire for a title fight against Islam Makhachev”