First, Makhachev has a fight to prepare for — a UFC 302 headliner on June 1 against Dustin Poirier at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, a lightweight fight in which he defends his UFC championship.

McGregor, meanwhile, returns to the Octagon on June 29 for a welterweight match against Michael Chandler. It will be McGregor’s first fight in almost three years.

Considering McGregor’s time away from the cage — coupled with his so-so MMA record of one win against three losses in his last four fights — it feels as if he’s far away from a fight with someone like Makhachev, who is riding a 13-fight winning run, with recent victories over Charles Oliveira and Alexander Volkanovski.

But there is backstory to McGregor and Makhachev due to Islam’s association with a long-time rival of Conor’s — Khabib Nurmagomedov. And the intrigue there, combined with McGregor’s ability to generate interest at the box office, could offset a lack of merit.

Makhachev Said There’s 2 Things Holding McGregor Back

Makhachev lauded McGregor for the manner in which he got in shape for the super-fight he had with Nurmagomedov in 2018.

Though the event was built on the foundations of a heated rivalry, McGregor performed well albeit in a fourth-round loss by submission, having won an earlier round — the first time an opponent had ever won a round against the dominant Nurmagomedov at that point in time.

“When he was fighting with Khabib,” Makhachev said on the podcast, “he was in good shape. He was a high-level fighter.”

Should McGregor overcome Chandler, making the prospect of a fight with a talent like Makhachev, or someone similar, more likely, it may not bode well for the Irishman, Makhachev said, because of two reasons: “Right now, too much alcohol, too much whiskey.”

Makhachev continued: “Everybody can finish Conor 10 times. … When will I fight next? October or November, I can fight August or September with McGregor. This guy not same. I don’t want to, like, make him look bad, but everybody know this guy not same.”

Makhachev, Meanwhile, Focuses on Poirier

Before Makhachev can think too far into the future, and what kind of opponent he could fight later this year, he first focuses on and must handle his upcoming match — the main event of a pay-per-view show June 1.

“Of course, I want to fight with Dustin,” Makhachev said.

“It’s very exciting for me. It’s a very dangerous guy. He’s a very good striker, most dangerous guy in my division in all UFC. I want to beat this guy.”

The event, which airs on ESPN, also features a middleweight fight between Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa, a middleweight fight between Kevin Holland and Michal Oleksiejczuk, and a heavyweight ruck involving Jailton Almeida and Alexander Romanov.