Islam Makhachev says it’d be ‘stupid to say no’ to Conor McGregor and that he’d even be willing to overlook Arman Tsarukyan for a shot at a ‘Notorious’ payday.

Islam Makhachev returns to action in just a few weeks to defend his lightweight belt against fan favorite veteran Dustin Poirier, yet despite having ‘The Diamond’ firmly in his sights, the champion is already eyeing a potential big-money payout later in the year.

Makhachev open to facing McGregor, then Tsarukyan in short order

Speaking with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo via the Pound 4 Pound podcast, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev revealed that he’d be willing to skip over Arman Tsarukyan to land a payday with Conor McGregor.

“Why you say he [Poirier] finished Conor twice? Everybody can finish Conor 10 times right now,” said the king of the 155lb division, explaining that “people have to be stupid to say no” to the possibility of facing such a superstar in the UFC octagon.

“Of course, I will fight him,” said Makhachev, stating that he could face McGregor in late summer before making a quick turnaround to face Arman Tsarukyan towards the end of the year:

“Brother, when I will fight next? October or November [against Arman]. I can fight August or September with McGregor [too].”

“Brother [that’s] easy, this guy’s not the same. I don’t want to make him feel or look bad, but everybody knows this guy is not the same… When he was fighting with Khabib, he’s in good shape, he’s a high-level fighter but right now it’s too much alcohol, too much whisky.”

Makhachev is open to facing McGregor as “in my division, I don’t have some interesting fights [left] because I already beat Arman,” although he also acknowledged that Tsarukyan has indeed earned himself the rematch thanks to his victory over Charles Oliveira.

Yet the Russian juggernaut also dismissed the idea of facing Max Holloway, who won the BMF title in dramatic fashion with his last-second knockout of Justin Gaethje at UFC 300.

“When I beat Arman, I don’t have any job [left] in my division because Max Holloway is not a 155lb fighter; he beat Gaethje, but he has a job in his division – Maybe he fights Ilia Topuria now, after he has Movsar Evloev; I’ve already given a chance to small guy.”

After earning a few more title defenses, Makhachev is still eyeing a big-money move up to welterweight and a shot at UFC champ-champ status.

“Now I need my chance for the fight for the welterweight belt… I’ve waited like how many years? I don’t call out welterweight guys, I’m waiting to move up a division.”

Islam Makhachev on Dustin Poirier’s most dangerous weapons

Returning to the fight at hand and whilst Makhachev has argued that the clash with Dustin Poirier will be a relatively easy night at the office, that doesn’t mean that the champion is dismissing the skillset of ‘The Diamond’.

“It’s very exciting for me, like I have to be sure [in myself because] it’s a very dangerous guy, he’s a very good striker and the most dangerous guy in my division, in all UFC.”

When asked what he thought were Poirier’s most dangerous weapons, Makhachev simply stated: “He has very heavy hands, and very good guillotine – that’s it. Wrestling and grappling? No – and everybody knows it.”

“He always has a problem when someone takes him down and hold his back, he always has problems,” shared the champion, before adding that “with this nickname ‘The Diamond’, I have to go on June 1^st take the diamond and put it on my belt.”

Mark the calendars for June 1 as UFC 302 goes down from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey for a PPV event headlined by Islam Makhachev vs Dustin Poirier for the 155lb title.