Islam Makhachev has not competed since defending his lightweight
title for the third time when he defeated Dustin Poirier via fifth-round
submission in the main event of UFC 302 last month. The UFCs top-
ranked pound-for-pound fighter was among those who were critical of
the Paris Olympics opening ceremony earlier this week as he labeled it
a shame and a dark stain on the prestigious event.
The lightweight champion was asked about his comments in a recent
interview with Russian media outlet Ushatayka. He responded:
To be honest, I watched some highlights of the Olympics opening
ceremony. It was disgusting. This is disrespect for all religions, for all
human values, in general. Honestly, I even planned to go to the
Olympics, but qfter what I saw, I don ‘t want to go there. ”
When asked about his remark that Russia should be the host nation of
the Olympics, he claimed:
“Firstly, Russia knows how to do it properly, cherishes human values, and respects athletes and sports. And what happened at the opening ceremony, I don’t think it has anything to do with sports.”
Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments on the Paris Olympics opening ceremony below: