Islam Makhachev says a possible boxing match with Conor McGregor was discussed during a call arranged by Turki Alalshikh, with UFC CEO Dana White nearby. Makhachev said McGregor was receptive, but nothing has been agreed or announced.

Fresh from retaining the UFC welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, Makhachev, 34, shared a new detail about his conversations with Alalshikh and a potential move into Zuffa Boxing.

“Our fight is still possible,” Makhachev said. “I have a new story to tell regarding McGregor. I went to a boxing event, and I was with Turki Alalshikh. He called Conor. He asked Conor if he wanted to box with me. ‘Yes, I am down.'”

The Dagestani athlete said he directed Alalshikh toward White, who would have a major say in whether a UFC-contracted athlete could make the crossover. I told him to ask Dana White, who was near us,” Makhachev said. “He laughed about it. We couldn’t really talk. He started showing [gestures] body language.”

The Dagestani champion did not identify the boxing event or reveal any dates, weight class, financial terms, or contract discussions. The exchange appears to have been an early conversation rather than formal fight negotiations, but it adds a major name to Makhachev’s stated interest in boxing under the Zuffa banner. Alalshikh had already told the 34-year-old fighter that he could help arrange a boxing appearance when the UFC star was ready.

Makhachev was realistic when assessing a potential straight-boxing meeting with McGregor, a former two-division UFC champion who made his professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather in 2017. “Why not? I am not a high level boxer but I can handle myself with other MMA fighters on the feet,” Makhachev said.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 15: Ian Machado Garry of Ireland punches Islam Makhachev of Russia in a welterweight title bout during UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 15, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

It is a notable shift in tone from Makhachev’s past doubts about McGregor accepting an MMA fight. In 2022, the two-division UFC champion said McGregor “never” would take their bout, amid the Irishman’s repeated public criticism of Khabib Nurmagomedov and his team. McGregor, however, has recently praised the 34-year-old’s career, placing him above Nurmagomedov in his personal assessment of their achievements.

Any boxing matchup would need clearance from the UFC and would likely be tied to Zuffa Boxing, the combat-sports project involving White and Alalshikh. That makes White’s reaction during the call more relevant than it may first appear.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA – AUGUST 13: (L-R) Opponents Islam Makhachev of Russia and Ian Machado Garry of Ireland pose during the UFC 330 press conference at Xfinity Mobile Arena on August 13, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

Khabib Nurmagomedov is the thread that would give a Makhachev-McGregor boxing match extra heat. Makhachev is Nurmagomedov’s longtime friend, training partner and teammate from Dagestan, and he emerged as the leading champion from Khabib’s camp after Nurmagomedov retired.

McGregor’s rivalry with Khabib remains one of the UFC’s most personal feuds: Nurmagomedov submitted him in the fourth round of their UFC 229 lightweight title fight in October 2018, before a post-fight brawl involving members of both teams. A matchup with Makhachev would therefore offer McGregor a chance to face another elite fighter tied closely to his old rival, while Makhachev could carry the legacy of the camp that beat McGregor in Las Vegas.

Picture Credits: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

For background, McGregor has one professional boxing bout on his record: his August 2017 crossover fight with Floyd Mayweather at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. McGregor had success early in the contest but Mayweather took over and won by 10th-round technical knockout, leaving the former UFC two-division champion with a 0-1 professional boxing record.

A Makhachev fight could fit under Zuffa Boxing, the promotion backed by Dana White, Turki Alalshikh, TKO and Saudi entertainment company Sela. The company launched its run in January and has promoted cards featuring Callum Walsh, Jai Opetaia, Edgar Berlanga and others, on Paramount.

Makhachev enters that conversation after a record-setting weekend. He defeated Machado Garry by unanimous decision, with scorecards of 49-46, 49-46 and 48-47, to retain his welterweight belt at Xfinity Mobile Arena. The win was his 17th straight UFC victory, moving him past Anderson Silva for the longest winning streak in UFC history.

Timothy Wheaton is a combat sports writer who covers MMA, Kickboxing, and Muay Thai. He has been a dedicated follower of these sports for decades. Tim has covered the UFC, GLORY, PFL, Bellator, and more, in person at live events as an on camera personality.

Tim also works with a host of other media outlets such as Calf Kick Sports, DAZN, Sportskeeda MMA, Combat Press, Fighters Only, MMA Sucka, Vecht Sport Info, MMA News, and Beyond Kickboxing. Tim is the authority on kickboxing and an MMA journalist who has covered K-1, PRIDE FC, UFC, GLORY Kickboxing, PFL, ONE Championship, and plenty more.