Islam Makhachev and Olympic legend ignite fight talks

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Islam Makhachev has a target on his back, and the latest to set their crosshairs on it is Olympic wrestling legend, Jordan Burroughs.

Widely considered one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers in American history, Burroughs has spent over a decade dominating the sport. With the rise of Real American Freestyle, the 38-year-old joined RAF and has quickly translated his dominance. Bringing in respectable wrestling pedigree himself, Sean Brady stepped up to welcome the Olympian to his first RAF outing. Brady has showcased his grappling prowess in the UFC, battling his way to a respectable 9-2 record inside the octagon. Despite Brady’s ability, Burroughs dismantled the UFC contender with an effortless 11-0 tech fall.

Fast forward to Saturday, and Jordan Burroughs’ expertise was on display once again. Traveling to enemy territory, the New Jerseyan secured a 10-0 technical fall victory against former Russian World Champion Magomed Kurbanaliev.

Using his time in the spotlight wisely, Burroughs called for his next opponent. Wanting to prove how elite he is on the mats, the two-time NCAA Division I National Champion and Dan Hodge Trophy winner set his sights on a mega-fight against Islam Makhachev.

“Islam! Where are you?” Burroughs said. “Hey, I came to your country. To your capital city. And tech fall’ed one of your world champions. I’ll be back to Russia very soon, and the only person I want to share the stage with is Islam.”

Taking no time to respond, Islam Makhachev took to social media to share his thoughts on the call out.

Having previously expressed an interest in the match, even claiming he would pose a true challenge to Jordan Burroughs on the wrestling mats, Makhachev seemingly had a change of heart. The UFC welterweight champion welcomed a fight against Burroughs, as long as it’s in the cage.

“Congrats on your win, legend,” Makhachev responded. “In the cage, anywhere, anytime.”