Islam Makhachev clears the air on rumors of staph infection ahead of UFC 302

Islam Makhachev recently addressed rumors of him suffering from a staph infection and rubbished any such speculations. Fans began wondering about a potential staph infection after the UFC lightweight king was spotted with a spot of discolored skin on his leg during a pre-fight photoshoot.

Makhachev is booked for a title fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 this weekend at the Prudential Center, in Newark, New Jersey. The Dagestani grappling maestro is coming off an impressive first-round knockout over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 last October. Meanwhile, Poirier last beat Benoit Saint Denis via second-round knockout at UFC 299 in March.

During the UFC 302 pre-fight press conference, Makhachev was asked about the mark on his leg and whether he contracted a staph infection. He said:

"Don’t worry guys, I had a very well training camp. Nothing is bothering me, and I’ll be 100 percent on Saturday night."

Rumors of Makhachev potentially suffering a staph infection notably caught Conor McGregor's eye. 'The Notorious' sounded off on Makhachev on social media and fired off a string of accusations against the Dagestani fighter and his team.

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Islam Makhachev on potential Conor McGregor fight in the future

Islam Makhachev recently shared his thoughts on a potential Conor McGregor fight sometime down the line. The UFC lightweight champion was open to the idea of facing the Irishman despite not considering him a worthy opponent.

During an interview with ESPN MMA, Makhachev was asked about McGregor as a possible opponent. Citing the Irishman as an easy payday but dismissing his fighting abilities, Makhachev said:

"We in the different level right now. Beat him, make good money and that's it, but I don't think he's a my level fighter."

When asked if he'd like to face McGregor in a cage under professional MMA rules or a team vs. team fight on the streets, Makhachev seemed to have his answer ready. Pointing out that McGregor already lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov, he said:

"Team versus team is gonna be more interesting because already Khabib beat him in the cage, beat his corner. But team versus team, maybe we can make Ultimate Fighter."

Catch Islam Makhachev's comments below (8:30):

It's no secret that there's no love lost between Makhachev and McGregor. The two rarely have anything kind to say about each other and were infamously involved in the brawl that took place in the aftermath of UFC 229 in October 2018.