Islam Makhachev will take on Bobby Green this Saturday at UFC Fight Night.
Originally, Makhachev was to meet Beneil Dariush. However, he was forced out with an injury and Green has stepped in.
The event takes place from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, streaming live on ESPN+.
For Javier Mendez, the head coach for Makhachev, the change is of little concern.
“I felt bad for Beneil, because he’s much deserving of this opportunity. And at the same time too, I feel very happy for Bobby Green, because he’s an OG, and he’s deserving of this recognition of this title implication for him,” Mendez said on Submission Radio. “So, I’m very happy for Bobby Green and I’m happy for Islam, because for me, it never mattered about who Islam fought, it’s just as long as he fought somebody that will get them closer to that title shot. So, whether it’d be Bobby Green or Beneil, it doesn’t matter.
“What matters is that he gets an opportunity to showcase his talents and his skills, and to show everybody why Khabib and I believe he’s the next heir to the throne.”
Makhachev has been on a roll, winning his last nine fights since a loss in 2015. That includes three consecutive submissions. In October he finished Dan Hooker after earning a win in his first UFC main event over Thiago Moises last July.
“The good thing about Islam Makhachev, is he’s so good everywhere, we don’t care. There’s no style change for him,” Mendez said. “He’s ready to fight, that’s it. We just tell him what to do.”
Green downed Nasrat Haqparast on February 12 and will be given some allowance with the bout taking place at 160 instead of lightweight. He has won two in a row and five of his last seven.
