John Makdessi says if Nasrat Haqparast wants a fight, he should spend less time on Twitter and more time negotiating a contract.
John Makdessi is sick and tired of fighters like Nasrat Haqparast and Gilbert Burns calling him out on social media.
Makdessi (17-6) and Haqparast (10-2) were originally scheduled to meet at UFC Nashville. Haqparast pulled out with an injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Jesus Pinedo. Makdessi went on to defeat Pinedo by UFC Nashville.
The injury did not discourage Haqparast from calling out Makdessi and the Lebanese-Canadian fighter has taken offense. “I signed the contract, he did not show up. For me to fight Nasrat at this point is honestly more personal than anything else,” Makdessi told Bloody Elbow. “If I win or lose, I still lose because he doesn’t bring me any closer to the top 10. I have more credibility than he has.”
I’ve been loyal to the @ufc, over 8 years now. I have no motivation fighting these new comers. I want name fights. To get me to title contention. To prove I’m one of the best Canadian fighters in the ufc. Would be a honour to test my will vs guys like @JimMiller_155 @JoeLauzon?
— John Wayne Makdessi (@JohnMakdessi) May 6, 2019
He’s chickening out. I have an opponent . Fight news soon …
— Nasrat Haqparast (@Nasrat_mma) May 7, 2019
“This motherf—er has no respect. His name suits himself suits him very well. Nas-rat. He sounds like a rat. All he does is f—king chit-chat,” he added. “All I see him do on Twitter is calling out fighters like he’ll fight anybody. He kept on mentioning my name.”
„Some good shit“? I’ve not been caught for PEDs „my man“ It’s okay Johnny we know you’re mentally not stable. But destiny will put us together
— Nasrat Haqparast (@Nasrat_mma) May 7, 2019
Makdessi understands why fighters take to Twitter to hype potential fights, but he warns his future opponents that is no way of getting a bout with him. “Fighters go on Twitter trash talking. I get that, but I don’t need to do that. At the end of the day I need to sign a contract, UFC has to send me a contract,” he insisted. “I’m not going to waste my energy going back-and-forth on Twitter. This kid didn’t show up.”
“I spoke to my manager and Sean Shelby. They’re not even interested,” he said of a potential fight with Haqparast. Nonetheless, he would sign the dotted line if it were offered. “100 percent. A fight is a fight.” Haqparast is not the only UFC fighter vying for a fight with Makdessi. “Gilbert Burns called me out,” he noted. “If it’s Nasrat, if it’s Gilbert, whoever wants to fight me, it’s not up to me. It’s up to the UFC and my management team.”
“We’re aiming hopefully by Summer,” Makdessi said of his next UFC outing. “We saw the Dubai card and it’s very interesting. Me being of Lebanese descent, Lebanese-Canadian, I know there is a big Lebanese community in Abu Dhabi. It’s also one of my dreams to fight in the Middle East, in my home soil.”