Mairbek Taisumov is one of the fastest rising contenders in the crowded UFC lightweight division. He took another huge step up the proverbial ladder this weekend, when he defeated Desmond Green at UFC Moscow.

Unfortunately, Mairbek Taisumov’s career has somewhat hindered by the difficulty he’s had obtaining a US visa. In his eyes, he might have a difficult time becoming a UFC champion if he can’t obtain a visa. As such, he’s considering retiring if he’s unable to get one.

“I want to be champion,” Mairbek Taisumov said after his defeat of Desmond Green (via MMAjunkie). “That’s why I’m here in the UFC, why I’m still fighting. I need that belt – it’s the only thing I want. Only the belt. That’s it. If I can’t get that visa, maybe I’m going to stop. I need a visa to fight in America to get that belt. If I don’t get that visa and I can’t fight in the best organization to get that belt, I’m not going to fight. I don’t want to fight anywhere – I want to be UFC champion.”

If Taisumov is able to obtain a visa, he’s hoping for a huge step up in his next outing — specifically, a fight with Kevin Lee.

“I want to fight Kevin Lee,” Taisumov said. “Kevin Lee’s a Conor wannabe. Hey, fight me, man. You say bad things all the time about Russia. I’m Russian – I’m Chechen. Let’s fight – don’t talk, man.”

What do you think the future holds for Mairbek Taisumov?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 9/16/2018.