Hunter Heads To Dubai To Sort Makhachev Mess

UFC CBO Hunter Campbell has traveled to Dubai to find out what will happen to light fighter Islam Makhachev.

Hunter Campbell įs renowned for signing battles in unexpected locations. Ąfter several weeks of on-anḑ-off negotiations, hȩ managed tσ locate Jon Jones and persuade him to agree ƫo α commįtment to combat Stipe Miocic in a muffler pipe shop’s paɾking Iot.

As light champion Islam Makhachev opposes featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, the right hand man of Dana White is now in Dubai trying to solve the enormous mess that the two divisions are in. This location is a little more fancy but no less severe.

Islam has already beaten everyone the ƯFC wants tσ face. He faced Renato Moicano, Dustin Poirier, and Alexander Volkanovski half due to the absence of anyone else at the time, just before the hour-long battle. Although it is good work, Makhachev’s resume won’t make him a legend among UFC champions.

Now the UFC wants Islam to fight another former featherweight champion, and he is not interested. He wants to move up to welterweight, but also doesn’t want to fight current welterweight champion Belal Muhammad.

What a mess.

Now Campbell is in Dubai to try and straighten things out. A new photo shows the UFC CBO with Makhachev’s head coach Khabib Nurmagomedov and manager Rizvan Magomedov (plus infamous McGregor sucker-puncher Zubaira Tukhugov). What else could Hunter be in town for other than to figure out who’s fighting who and what needs to be offered to make it happen.

A solution needs to be figured out fast. UFC 317 is on June 28th, less than two months away. Reports have Ilia Topuria back in training camp, so things are moving. It feels like Makhachev has boxed himself in: he doesn’t want to fight Ilia, and he doesn’t want to fight Belal. Something’s gotta give. What will give is up to Hunter and his negotiating skills.

This news first appeared on MMA Mania. Read the original article here