Islam Makhachev Says His Mother Against Him Fighting in the UFC

UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev revealed that his mother is against him fighting in mixed martial arts.

Makhachev is currently on the sidelines, waiting for the winner of the UFC 336 co-main event between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales for the interim UFC welterweight championship. He was supposed to fight Prates at that event but withdrew his name from consideration because he did not want to fight in January.

Now, he has admitted that his MMA career might not last much longer, as his mother is against him doing it.

Islam Makhachev Says Mother’s Wishes May Win Out

Speaking to Red Corner MMA, Makhachev revealed that his mother doesn’t want him fighting anymore, and it could push him into retirement.

“My mother has always been against me fighting. I’ve always listened to my mother, so soon I will obey her word,” Makhachev said (via MMAFighting.com).

Makhachev’s friend and longtime teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov also retired in his prime due to his family’s wishes, so it wouldn’t be a total shock for Makhachev to do the same thing.

Islam Makhachev Speaks About Top Welterweight Contenders

According to Makhachev, he doesn’t see a ton of contenders waiting in the wings for him despite him only having two fights in the UFC welterweight division.

“There’s no number. I am just reaching the finish line. There aren’t many things that could give me motivation in this sport. I’m at the finish line. I just want to fight the contenders, but I don’t see any new names,” Makhachev said.

With that being said, Makhachev knows that the fight between Prates and Morales is likely to produce the next No. 1 contender at 170 lbs, and he believes that he’s a bad matchup for whoever wins that fight.

“It’s a good fight and I think both of them deserve a title shot. That’s why I would like to see which of them is more deserving. We’ll find out in January. They are both good. They are both punchers. Although, I wouldn’t say either of them is a threat for me. I am a bad matchup for them stylistically,” Makhachev said.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

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