Tag: Islam Makhachev

Michael Chandler Targets ‘Craziest’ Fight Run Against Makhachev, Holloway & McGregor

Michael Chandler has been out of action for almost two years, having last fought Dustin Poirier in November 2022. Outside of TUF 31, he’s spent most of this time waiting for Conor McGregor, but after the upheaval around UFC 303, he finally moved on to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 309. Following his razor-close split […]

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Michael Chandler has been out of action for almost two years, having last fought Dustin Poirier in November 2022. Outside of TUF 31, he’s spent most of this time waiting for Conor McGregor, but after the upheaval around UFC 303, he finally moved on to fight Charles Oliveira at UFC 309.

Following his razor-close split decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300, Oliveira is currently the #2 ranked UFC lightweight in the world. So, defeating him should put Chandler in line for a title shot.

Chandler fought frequently in the UFC since his debut against Dan Hooker. It appears he wants to compensate for the two-year hiatus by fighting as many high-profile names as possible before 2025.

Chandler recently appeared on the SHAK MMA YouTube channel for an interview. When asked if he would fight McGregor or Makhachev after a win over Oliveira, “Iron” stated that getting the UFC lightweight title is his priority. He also feels the need to settle the rivalry with “The Notorious” which began with TUF 31.

“The title is the number one goal but there is some unfinished business. Chandler vs. McGregor TUF 31, it needs, that chapter needs to close to some point. Conor wants that fight. He’s talked about it openly in public, in interviews. Obviously, I want that fight. I’m not focused on it right now. I’m focused on Charles, but it’ll be interesting you know. Because you also got to remember, Islam is fighting probably in January, could be late January. He’s gonna go into Ramadan in February, all of March, won’t be able to go till training camp, won’t be able to fight till June July. I’m not trying to wait till June or July. So, Conor could sneak in there, we could see Chandler vs. Oliveira, Chandler vs. Conor, Chandler vs. Islam, Chandler vs. Max. The craziest four or five fight-run in a 12-month period that anyone’s ever seen.”

Besides Makhachev and McGregor, “Iron” is also interested in fighting former UFC featherweight champion and the reigning BMF champion Max Holloway in 2025. Fans have been eagerly waiting to see this fight too, as both fighters boast an aggressive, fearless, and striking-heavy fighting style.

It’ll be interesting to see how many superfights Chandler can be a part of before the end of 2025. For now, he needs to focus on beating Oliveira, who already holds a TKO win over him.

Continue Reading Michael Chandler Targets ‘Craziest’ Fight Run Against Makhachev, Holloway & McGregor at MMA News.

Jon Anik On UFC’s P4P Debate: ‘It Is Islam Makhachev Every Day Of The Week’

UFC commentator Jon Anik believes Islam Makhachev is right to hold the pound-for-pound throne over fellow champions like Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, and Ilia Topuria. Not many topics have received the kind of discourse and scrutiny as the P4P debate in 2024, largely down to UFC CEO Dana White’s fury at the current order. Leading […]

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UFC commentator Jon Anik believes Islam Makhachev is right to hold the pound-for-pound throne over fellow champions like Jon Jones, Alex Pereira, and Ilia Topuria.

Not many topics have received the kind of discourse and scrutiny as the P4P debate in 2024, largely down to UFC CEO Dana White’s fury at the current order.

Leading the way is lightweight kingpin Makhachev, who followed a pair of title defenses against Alexander Volkanovski in 2023 by stalling the late-career championship ambitions of Dustin Poirier this past June.

For White, that’s ludicrous. His view is that heavyweight titleholder Jones is the clear and obvious choice, despite not yet defending his gold in the 19 months since his crowning and competing just once since February 2020.

Before getting back to top spot, “Bones” also has to climb above Alex Pereira. After reeling off three straight title defenses in 2024, the light heavyweight champ occupies the number two position.

And most recently, Topuria staked his claim and received the nods from some in the community after completing a memorable year of activity with a featherweight defense against Max Holloway. Like he did Alexander Volkanovski this past February, “El Matador” floored “Blessed” with his brutal power, putting himself in a good position to collect the Fighter of the Year accolades.

During a recent interview with MMA reporter Kevin Iole, Anik assessed the current standings, explaining why he gives the clear advantage to Makhachev over Topuria when it comes to P4P.

He also detailed why he doesn’t consider Jones worthy of top spot at this moment in time (cover your eyes, Dana).

“I am but one man with one opinion. … Ilia Topuria’s accomplishments this year are undeniable. To do what he did to Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway successively, relatively close or in their fighting primes, is otherworldly. But for me, KI, Islam Makhachev’s ability to find that takedown and find that submission in his last title defense against Dustin Poirier is about as good as it gets, right?

“And he was the guy (pound-for-pound number one) going in, so I don’t know that he loses that perch for me. I have always put 155 pounds on a pedestal. I do believe 155 pounds is the deepest division,” Anik continued. “For me, it is Islam Makhachev every day of the week. Jon Jones is in the conversation, but inactivity I think largely takes him out of the discourse.”

Makhachev has held the crown ever since usurping Jones weeks after his knockout win over Volkanovski in October 2023.

While Jones has the chance to rise again with a victory over Stipe Miocic next weekend, should the Dagestani get the better of Arman Tsarukyan in their expected title clash next January, “Bones” may have to settle for silver — or perhaps bronze if Alex Pereira holds his position.

Continue Reading Jon Anik On UFC’s P4P Debate: ‘It Is Islam Makhachev Every Day Of The Week’ at MMA News.

Islam Makhachev’s Coach Breaks Down Potential Ilia Topuria Superfight After UFC 308

Following Ilia Topuria’s successful title defense this past weekend, the coach of UFC lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev has assessed the possibility of a champ vs. champ collision down the line. Topuria cemented his grip on the featherweight gold in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 308 pay-per-view, which he headlined opposite fan favorite Max Holloway […]

Continue Reading Islam Makhachev’s Coach Breaks Down Potential Ilia Topuria Superfight After UFC 308 at MMA News.

Following Ilia Topuria’s successful title defense this past weekend, the coach of UFC lightweight kingpin Islam Makhachev has assessed the possibility of a champ vs. champ collision down the line.

Topuria cemented his grip on the featherweight gold in the main event of Saturday’s UFC 308 pay-per-view, which he headlined opposite fan favorite Max Holloway eight months on from his crowning at the expense of Alexander Volkanovski in Anaheim.

Like against the Australian, “El Matador” sent “Blessed” to the canvas in brutal fashion, becoming the first to knock the Hawaiian out in the process.

At just 27 years old, Topuria has already established himself as one of the featherweight division’s all-time greats. And at such a young age, the Georgian-Spaniard has plenty of time to achieve his other ambitions on MMA’s biggest stage.

That unsurprisingly includes two-division glory, and having already recorded a vicious KO up at 155 pounds back in 2022, Topuria is confident in his chances of adding the UFC lightweight belt to his trophy collection.

During a recent appearance on Submission Radio, Javier Mendez — coach of current lightweight titleholder Makhachev — reacted to Topuria’s triumph in Abu Dhabi.

The AKA trainer threw praise on the featherweight champ, notably branding his boxing the best in mixed martial arts. With that in mind, he wouldn’t be looking to have Makhachev throw down with the Spaniard in a potential super fight down the line.

“I mean, when he took Max down with ease in the first round, I said, ‘That’s the way you fight MMA.’ And he has a very strong stand-up game,” Mendez said. “I would think that he’s probably the best boxer in the whole entire division. He’s really crisp and very on point with his boxing, and therefore you see how he uses it really, really well. His boxing, I think, is his best attribute out of everything he does. He’s impressive, very impressive. … I’ve been saying he’s a good boxer. But last night proved to me that he’s the best boxer presently in the UFC. Actually, in the entire world. He’s the best boxer in MMA.

“That would be an area I’d be foolish to want to try to go up against, boxing for boxing. That’s not a smart move, you know? And it just would be like, if Ilia decided to go submission for submission with Islam, that’s not a smart move on his part either,” Mendez continued. “So, it’s all strategy, and how you approach it, how your fighter approaches it, and, you know, what mistakes you can correct while the fight is going on. That’s what I think is more important than anything. When the fight does get matched, it’s just your gameplan, your strategy, executing it, you know?”

And if Topuria was to attempt to beat Makhachev at his own game, Mendez warned that he’d be taking on a challenge only achieved by the great Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“The only person that really did the most with him was Khabib. And at the end of the day, the longer you grapple with Islam, the worse it’s going to get,” Mendez concluded.

The lightweight champ didn’t have much to say in the aftermath of the UFC 308 main event and didn’t address a potential clash with his featherweight counterpart down the line. Instead, Makhachev offered his congratulations to Topuria and some comforting words for the defeated Holloway.

The Dagestani’s focus, then, is no doubt entirely on the challenge seemingly awaiting him in January 2025, as he prepares to run it back with Arman Tsarukyan.

Continue Reading Islam Makhachev’s Coach Breaks Down Potential Ilia Topuria Superfight After UFC 308 at MMA News.

Islam Makhachev Could Get Welterweight Title Opportunity, Says Dana White

Islam MakhachevIf Islam Makhachev wins his next fight, he’ll “absolutely” get an opportunity to add another belt to his collection….

Islam Makhachev

If Islam Makhachev wins his next fight, he’ll “absolutely” get an opportunity to add another belt to his collection.

In June, the ‘Dagestani Destroyer’ successfully defended his lightweight championship against three-time title challenger Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in New Jersey. Makhachev had hoped to put his gold on the line at Saturday’s pay-per-view event in Abu Dhabi, but a hand injury forced him to sit out the rest of 2024.

Islam Makhachev

When he does return, Makhachev is expected to square off with the division’s top-ranked contender, Arman Tsarukyan.

With Makhachev already expressing interest in moving up to welterweight for a shot at champ-champ status, Dana White revealed at Thursday’s Power Slap press conference that he would happily allow Makhachev to move up should he score a win over ‘Ahalkalakets’ in his next outing.

Welterweight Champion Belal Muhammad not interested in fighting Islam makhachev

Right now, the welterweight title resides with Belal Muhammad after ‘Remember The Name’ delivered a mostly dominant showing against Leon Edwards in Manchester earlier this year.

Currently, Muhammad is scheduled to defend the welterweight crown against unbeaten finisher Shavkat Rakhmonov in the UFC 310 headliner on December 7.

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Unfortunately for Makhachev, even if Muhammad comes out on top, he’s not likely to give the Dagestani a title opportunity.

“I would never fight him, 100 percent, but honestly, he could go up to 185 and beat [Dricus] du Plessis right now,” Muhammad told MMA Fighting in June. “I think he’s that good, really. I think he could go up there and be that two-division champ.”

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Islam Makhachev’s Manager Puts Dana White’s P4P Stance Down To Promotional Tactics

The manager of Islam Makhachev believes Dana White’s attempt to downplay the UFC lightweight champion’s status as pound-for-pound best is entirely down to his efforts to promote Jon Jones. “Bones,” a former light heavyweight kingpin who captured the heavyweight gold in his divisional debut last year, is set to make his long-awaited return to defend […]

Continue Reading Islam Makhachev’s Manager Puts Dana White’s P4P Stance Down To Promotional Tactics at MMA News.

The manager of Islam Makhachev believes Dana White’s attempt to downplay the UFC lightweight champion’s status as pound-for-pound best is entirely down to his efforts to promote Jon Jones.

“Bones,” a former light heavyweight kingpin who captured the heavyweight gold in his divisional debut last year, is set to make his long-awaited return to defend the belt in the UFC 309 main event next month.

While Jones and the UFC CEO haven’t seen eye to eye in the past, White has been spreading stories of the heavyweight champ’s accolades and his continued superiority on podcasts and during interviews throughout this year.

Among White’s claims is the suggestion that the rankings panel have massively messed up by putting Makhachev in the pound-for-pound top spot over Jones.

During an interview with MMA Fighting, the Dagestani’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, provided his response to White’s continued dismissal of Makhachev as being worthy of the P4P crown.

“Listen, it’s the reason why Dana White is the pound-for-pound greatest promoter on this planet,” Abdelaziz explained. “Jon Jones is fighting next month. He’s fighting a guy (in Stipe Miocic), he’s probably going to be -800 against. (This is) the best way to promote this fight, to promote Jon Jones.

“Dana never promoted Jon Jones for some reason. But now he’s on Jon Jones’ wagon. Guess what? This promotes Jon Jones, too,” Abdelaziz continued. “He can say he’s the greatest of all time. Islam Makhachev right now currently is the pound-for-pound greatest fighter in the world by far. It’s not even second place. But Dana’s Dana. People think he’s talking gospel.”

White isn’t along in disagreeing with Abdelaziz’s take.

Makhachev’s expected next challenger, in-form Russian-Armenian contender Arman Tsarukyan, also put Jones above the lightweight champ while discussing the pound-for-pound order in a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn.

Continue Reading Islam Makhachev’s Manager Puts Dana White’s P4P Stance Down To Promotional Tactics at MMA News.

Ilia Topuria Eyes Islam Makhachev Fight, vows to make him “Suffer” in Dream Title Showdown

Ilia Topuria vs Islam MakhachevThe UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria has set his aim on the lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev. At UFC 308,…

Ilia Topuria vs Islam Makhachev

The UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria has set his aim on the lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev. At UFC 308, ‘El Matador’ will look to defend his throne against the former champion Max Holloway, and then Topuria is looking to become a two-division king.

Ilia Topuria

The Georgian-Spanish will enter his UFC 308 title fight with an undefeated professional record on October 26. Ilia Topuria captured the featherweight title when he knocked out pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski earlier this year. Now, he faces a stiff test against the former champion ‘Blessed’ Max Holloway this weekend.

Ilia Topuria eyes biggest fight in history against Conor McGregor in UFC Spain debut
Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – USA TODAY Sports

With a victory at UFC 308, Ilia Topuria will look to go up in weight to challenge the lightweight world champion Islam Makhachev, who is a student of all-time great Khabib Nurmagomedov. The Dagestani Makhachev has impressive wins over fighters such as Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski, and Charles Oliveira, among others. He is an aggressive fighter with a smother top game on the ground.

In an interview, Ilia Topuria explained how he sees the match against the lightweight king. He said:

“A style that Islam has never ever faced in his life, and will never face unless he faces me…So that is why I say that right now, there is no one who can overshadow me.

“I know what bothers them, what doesn’t bother them. So, for me, even if it seems like a very difficult fight, I would make Islam suffer a lot. Too much…I’m a guy who has impeccable physical preparation. In the fifth round, I am the same as in the first and I represent a threat at any second of the fight.“

But before he can challenge for the lightweight throne, he has a major challenge ahead of him as he soon meets Max Holloway. ‘Blessed’ a an aggressive volume striker who looks to bury his opponents under a barrage of punches. This match is set to headline in Abu Dhabi this weekend.