Coach Javier Mendez has a clear preference for Islam Makhachev's future opponent after UFC 294.
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Javier Mendez, the esteemed coach from the American Kickboxing Academy, has a clear preference for Islam Makhachev’s future opponent after UFC 294. Makhachev is slated to defend his UFC lightweight title in a rematch against Charles Oliveira on October 21 in Abu Dhabi.
Their first encounter resulted in Makhachev securing a second-round submission victory, earning him the UFC lightweight championship. As Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez made a guest appearance on Submission Radio, where he disclosed his preferred opponent for Islam Makhachev.
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If Islam secures a 2-0 record against Charles Oliveira. “I’d want Alex [Volkanovski],” Mendez said. “Yeah, I would, I’d want Alex.”
During his appearance, Mendez elaborated on his reasoning for favoring an Alexander Volkanovski rematch over a fight against the recently crowned BMF titleholder, Justin Gaethje, as the next matchup for Islam Makhachev.
Mendez expressed his stance on the matter, explaining that he believes there is unfinished business with Alex. Despite their perspective, there is still a lack of clarity and too much uncertainty surrounding the situation.
Mendez acknowledged that the previous fight lived up to its expectations, being an exceptional clash between two champions. However, there remains undecidedness on the other side. Mendez is determined to prove that they are the superior fighter in this scenario.
“Well, because there’s still unfinished business with Alex in my mind. There’s still unfinished business. There’s no clarity. In our eyes, it was clear, but there’s just too much uncertainty. On top of that, I hate to say it but that fight delivered. It was supposed to be one of the great fights between two greats, and it turned out to be exactly that. Two champions got in there and it was a championship caliber fight. There’s still undecidedness on the other side. I wanna prove that we are the better fighter.”
Last month, Alexander Volkanovski demonstrated his supremacy by successfully defending the UFC Featherweight Championship against former interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez. In an impressive display, Volkanovski secured a third-round TKO victory to retain his title.
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