Getty Image / Chris Unger
Islam Makhachev is on top of the MMA world right now after defeating Alexander Volkanovski to defend his lightweight belt.
However, it sounds like his family, more specifically his mother, is pressuring him to retire from the sport.
According to MMA News, Islam Makhachev revealed that his mother does not like watching his fights. Or, fights in general. For that reason, she wants her son to retire from fighting as soon as possible.
Here is Makhachev discussing his mother’s request for him to retire.
“My mother doesn’t watch fights, not just my fights – fights in general. She doesn’t like seeing people hit each other. When I came home there were a lot of people there. [My mother] said, ‘You’re a champion now. Wrap it up. Khabib listened to his mother. When will you listen to yours?'”
Considering Khabib Nurmagomedov retired in the middle of his title reign, perhaps Islam Makhachev will consider the same.
However, from the sounds of it, that doesn’t appear to be the case, per MMA News. “I told her Khabib defended his title and I need to do the same. It’s a hard topic for my mother. My father’s the opposite. He watches all the fights.”
With that said, we should expect to see plenty of more Islam Makhachev in the UFC for now. He clearly wants to defend his belt for as long as possible.
Even so, the pressure to retire could grow more intense after each passing fight. If Makhachev is anything like Khabib, then perhaps his mother could get her wish sooner than expected.