“I think the UFC made a mistake by organizing this fight,” Abdelaziz said in an interview with John Morgan. “I think that Benil Dariush should fight for the title. I respect Alexander Volkanovski, but I think this is a mistake. The only person who can give Islam a fight is Benil, who is currently the top contender.”
“I just don’t think it’s a competitive fight. I’ve been repeating this for years, everyone thought I was crazy, called Islam “the Chinese version of Khabib”, but I said that maybe he is even better than Khabib. Khabib is Khabib, and I would not compare anyone with him, but Islam is a real threat to any opponent.
Moreover, Abdelaziz is convinced that his ward, who owns the UFC lightweight championship belt, can win the UFC middleweight and welterweight titles.
“I see that he will become a UFC champion in three weight divisions, and I really believe in it. Are you saying he can’t beat Leon Edwards right now? He can do it. Can he compete with Alex Pereira? Undoubtedly. He can become a UFC champion in three divisions. I see him in the gym destroying light heavyweights, heavyweights, and he looks unbeatable. The only one in the division who can give him a fight is Benil Dariush.”
Recall that the superfight of Islam Makhachev and Alex Volkanovski will be the main event of the UFC 284 tournament, which will be held on February 12 in Perth, Australia.