Tag: Islam Makhachev

Khabib Reveals Incentive UFC Have Offered Makhachev For Dariush Fight

If Khabib Nurmagomedov is to be believed, February 26 could prove to be a very lucrative date for surging Dagestani Islam Makhachev.

Since a 2015 defeat to Adriano Martins, Makhachev has looked unstoppable. In nine straight wins, the 30-year-old ha…

Khabib Nurmagomedov & Islam Makhachev, Beneil Dariush

If Khabib Nurmagomedov is to be believed, February 26 could prove to be a very lucrative date for surging Dagestani Islam Makhachev.

Since a 2015 defeat to Adriano Martins, Makhachev has looked unstoppable. In nine straight wins, the 30-year-old has added the likes of Nik Lentz, Gleison Tibau, Arman Tsarukyan, Davi Ramos, and Drew Dober to his résumé. With triumphs number eight and nine, Makhachev turned it up a notch.

In his first UFC main event, the American Kickboxing Academy product submitted Thiago Moisés with a fourth-round rear-naked choke. Having entered the lightweight top five, Makhachev had been set for a grudge match against rival Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 267. After the Brazilian withdrew, he faced perennial contender Dan Hooker. With a brutal first-round kimura, Makhachev secured his third submission win of 2021.

Now inches away from a title shot, Makhachev will look to secure his place opposite the champion in 2022. He looks set to have the chance to do so in a UFC Fight Night main event against #3-ranked contender Beneil Dariush.

It Could Be A Lucrative Night For Makhachev

Like Makhachev, Dariush has also built an impressive winning streak in recent years. Since losses to Edson Barboza and Alexander Hernandez, the 32-year-old has defeated the likes of Dober, Moisés, Drakkar Klose, and Carlos Diego Ferreira. Dariush secured his place in the top five and in title contention with a dominant co-main event display against Tony Ferguson at UFC 262.

Despite facing an in-form opponent with grappling credentials that could perhaps match his own, don’t be surprised if Makhachev pushes for a finish. That’s because, according to the Dagestani’s compatriot, friend, and teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov, the UFC has offered the #4-ranked contender a “double bonus” if he puts Dariush away inside the distance.

“And Beneil and Islam, this is truly and 100% number-one contender fight. Who’s gonna win, they gonna fight for the title. And UFC told Islam (this),” Khabib told ESPN MMA. ” And you know what’s interesting? If Islam finish him, they gonna give him double bonus. And you know, it’s very interesting,” the former UFC champion said with a smirk. “This is just private news. I just want to share it with you and friends because it’s very interesting. And UFC really, really want this fight.”

So a guaranteed title fight and a double bonus? Dana White is certainly playing the role of Santa for the Makhachev camp this Christmas.

While “The Eagle” added that he’s not certain if Dariush has been offered the same, it’s hard to imagine this being a one-sided offer. Although if the promotion is as high on Makhachev as many believe, perhaps these are the lengths they’re willing to go to push a favored fighter..

What do you make of the UFC’s offer of a double bonus to Islam Makhachev if he finishes Beneil Dariush?

Continue Reading Khabib Reveals Incentive UFC Have Offered Makhachev For Dariush Fight at MMA News.

Beneil Dariush: The UFC Offered Me Makhachev Matchup For UFC 267

UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has revealed that the UFC had hoped to book his matchup with Islam Makhachev for this year.

Dariush’s rise towards the top of the 155-pound ladder has certainly been memorable. Since losses to Edson Barboza …

Beneil Dariush, Islam Makhachev

UFC lightweight contender Beneil Dariush has revealed that the UFC had hoped to book his matchup with Islam Makhachev for this year.

Dariush’s rise towards the top of the 155-pound ladder has certainly been memorable. Since losses to Edson Barboza and Alexander Hernandez, the 32-year-old has built a seven-fight winning streak, which includes submission wins against Drew Dober and Frank Camacho, highlight-reel knockouts of Drakkar Klose and Scott Holtzman, and a display of total dominance against former interim champion Tony Ferguson.

Now ranked #3 in the division and seemingly just one step from a meeting in the Octagon with the champion, Dariush will look to secure his first title shot when he faces Makhachev. The pair are set to collide in the main event of a UFC Fight Night on February 26.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CWyQIc0twjW/

A Fight Months In The Making

Despite the booking being targeted for the second month of 2022, Dariush has revealed that the promotion’s original plan was for the two top-five contenders to meet in Abu Dhabi at UFC 267.

During an appearance on DC & RC, the Iranian-born American told Daniel Cormier that he was unable to make the Abu-Dhabi-held event due to the birth of his child. While he’d initially hoped to push the matchup back to December, the UFC were keen to have Makhachev appear on Fight Island.

“Man, I’m stoked. Big respect to Islam and Khabib and that team, they’re one of the best teams right now in the game. It was kinda hard getting this matchup because obviously, our manager (Ali Abdelaziz) was like, ‘You guys are the best in the division, I want you guys fighting for the title,’ and also, the timing for the last fight, for Islam, he needed to do Abu Dhabi, and I just had a baby, so I couldn’t do Abu Dhabi. I told them I could do December, and they said no, he had to be there. So it was a little bit tricky, but I’m stoked for this fight man. Islam is so good. He’s one of the best guys, if not the best.”

When questioned on the failed plans, Dariush revealed that UFC President Dana White had proposed the fight with Makhachev after the surging Dagestani submitted Thiago Moisés in the main event of UFC Vegas 31 in July.

“Remember when Islam fought Thiago Moisés? Dana said, ‘Hey, I want him to fight Dariush.’ And I was like, ‘Man, if we could do December, that makes perfect sense for me. Let’s go.’ And I found out that Islam had to do October 30 for Abu Dhabi because he has such a big fanbase and they love him over there and they had to have him over there, which I was like, ‘Alright, I understand but like, I just had a baby, I have no clue what I’m doing.'”

In the end, Makhachev faced Dan Hooker at UFC 267 after original opponent Rafael dos Anjos withdrew through injury. With a brutal first-round kimura, the 30-yar-old burst into title contention and eventually set up a clash with the equally in-form Dariush.

How do you think the fight between Beneil Dariush and Islam Makhachev will play out?

Continue Reading Beneil Dariush: The UFC Offered Me Makhachev Matchup For UFC 267 at MMA News.

Rafael dos Anjos Trades Barbs With ‘Khabib Wannabe’ Islam Makhachev

Rafael dos Anjos and Islam Makhachev are back at it once again, throwing insults back and forth.

dos Anjos and Makhachev have been on the docket to fight each other on multiple occasions, with the fight falling through each time for various reasons…

Rafael dos Anjos Islam Makhachev

Rafael dos Anjos and Islam Makhachev are back at it once again, throwing insults back and forth.

dos Anjos and Makhachev have been on the docket to fight each other on multiple occasions, with the fight falling through each time for various reasons. This has led to a beef between the two that has ebbed and flowed throughout the years, never ceasing to entertain.

The most recent of these interactions came when dos Anjos posted a clip of an altercation between he and Conor McGregor to Twitter, captioning it by saying that the Irishman was lucky that guards were between them. Makhachev chimed in by noting that there were no guards stopping RDA during that altercation.

“Let’s meet without security to break up the fight. See you in 2022,” dos Anjos wrote, directing his message to McGregor.

“There was no security around you man ?” Makhachev quipped.

This led to a fiery response from dos Anjos, who brought up the fact that Islam Makhachev has not faced any former champions and saying that he only has hype because of his close relationship with former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

In response, the Dagestani made the point that he was booked to fight RDA, but the Brazilian withdrew.

“How many champions have you fought? How many main events? You only getting the hype because of your brother, Get my name out of your dirty mouth Khabib wanna be,” dos Anjos said.

“Never fought champion, because you keep pulling out, unfortunately,” said Makhachev in response.

Finally, dos Anjos stated that Makhachev is lucky to not be facing him and that he must be his manager, Ali Abdelaziz’s favorite fighter. However, Makhachev countered this by somewhat sarcastically saying that this honor clearly belongs to Justin Gaethje, who appears to be getting the title shot over him while he instead faces Beneil Dariush.

“Btw you’re lucky because you’re yours manager’s favorite,” dos Anjos tweeted.

“Wrong, Justin is favorite , he’s fighting for title ???,” responded Makhachev.

This was an entertaining back-and-forth between Rafael dos Anjos and Islam Makhachev. While it is unclear if they will ever end up actually fighting, it is always entertaining to see them trading barbs online.

Continue Reading Rafael dos Anjos Trades Barbs With ‘Khabib Wannabe’ Islam Makhachev at MMA News.

Dariush: Of Course I’m Going To Grapple With Makhachev

Beneil Dariush is not shying away from the grappling of lightweight boogeyman Islam Makhachev.

As the close friend and protégé to former champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has put his grappling skills to use to dispatch the best fighters he could…

Beneil Dariush Islam Makhachev

Beneil Dariush is not shying away from the grappling of lightweight boogeyman Islam Makhachev.

As the close friend and protégé to former champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has put his grappling skills to use to dispatch the best fighters he could face en route to a nine-fight win streak. While there was some talk about him fighting for the title next, he will instead face top contender Dariush, who is riding his own respectable seven-fight streak.

With the immense skill level that Makhachev possesses when fights go to the mats, one might expect Dariush to make an attempt to keep the fight standing. However, he explained in an interview with RT Sport that he is fully expecting to grapple with the Dagestani and is not afraid of the fight going to the ground.

“I don’t really think too much about Islam think — I think about me” Dariush said (h/t MMAJunkie). “What do I do in my fights? I’m a grappler, obviously, so l’m not going to be like, ‘Oh, he’s a grappler — I can’t grapple’ Of course l’m going to try and grapple. I know how to strike, so of course I’m going to use my striking. I’m not a person where feel like, ‘Oh, I have to do this in order to win the fight.’ I feel comfortable everywhere. So if I want to wrestle, I’ll wrestle. If I want to strike, I’ll strike. If I want to counter, I’ll counter. I can do all things, so I’m not worried about it.

“A lot of people say we mirror each other because we’re both southpaw. We’re almost the same height — I think he’s a little bit taller than me — and if I don’t get too crazy, I try to be also very methodical. So there’s definitely a mirror there,” Dariush added.

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CWyAkffoWyv/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The mindset that Beneil Dariush has is the confidence that you would hope to see from someone taking on one of the most highly touted prospects in the sport today. Time will tell if that ends up backfiring when he faces Islam Makhachev on February 26th.

Continue Reading Dariush: Of Course I’m Going To Grapple With Makhachev at MMA News.

Khabib: ‘Islam Makhachev, Beneil Dariush Are Better Than Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje’

Khabib NurmagomedovFormer undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov has had high praise for upcoming headlines, top-5 contenders, Beneil Dariush and teammate, Islam Makhachev — claiming that both of them are currently better than former interim lightweight titleholders, past-foes, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. Khabib, who officially announced his retirement from professional mixed martial arts 13 months […]

Khabib Nurmagomedov

Former undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov has had high praise for upcoming headlines, top-5 contenders, Beneil Dariush and teammate, Islam Makhachev — claiming that both of them are currently better than former interim lightweight titleholders, past-foes, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje.

Khabib, who officially announced his retirement from professional mixed martial arts 13 months ago following a title unification submission win against Gaethje, also officially vacated the lightweight crown in March — with Charles Oliveira scooping the title courtesy of a knockout win over Michael Chandler in May.

With Oliveira slated to make his first attempted defense of the lightweight crown next month to round out the pay-per-view portion of UFC 269, the Sao Paulo finisher meets with the aforenoted former interim gold holder, Poirier — who enters the title showdown off the back of a pair of 2021 victories over Conor McGregor. 

With Poirier next in line for the title, the above mentioned, Gaethje managed to secure his spot as challenger in waiting off the back of his unanimous judging Fight of the Year contender opposite Chandler at the beginning of November at UFC 269.

Khabib Nurmagomedov claims both Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush are better than Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje

However, both Dariush and Makhachev have both staked their respective claims for shots at lightweight spoils in the midst of lengthy winning sprees. But one of the two will fall to the wayside come February next year — with the pair jotting their names to stand opposite each other on a February 26. UFC Fight Night headlining slot. 

Providing his thoughts on the landscape of the lightweight title picture, Khabib claimed that while both Poirier and Gaethje were undeniable title challenger, in his opinion, both Dariush and Makhachev are better than them both.

“Any of them, like Islam (Makhachev) and (Beneil) Dariush — they deserve to fight for the title, right now,” Khabib Nurmagomedov told ESPN MMA. “But, we have like, some big names on lightweight, like you know, you cannot say no for Dustin Poirier or Justin Gaethje. These two guys, they have very big name.“

“But like fighters, in my opinion, they better, like Dariush and Islam, they better than Dustin and Justin, it’s just my opinion, you know,” Khabib Nurmagomedov continued. “But, they have big-name — we know this game, and sometimes it’s not enough like. Nine win streak or seven win streak, it’s not enough to fight for the title, you know. Sometimes you have to build your name, you know.“

Khabib and Gaethje’s manager, Dominance MMA leader, Ali Abdelaziz recently claimed that is likely Gaethje will challenge for lightweight gold in May of next year following his Madison Square Garden victory over Chandler. And without getting too far ahead of the picture, the victor between Dariush and Makhachev would likely find themselves as the next challenger in waiting. 

Hooker Was Ready To “Ace” Hasbulla Off Khabib’s Shoulders At UFC 267

Dan Hooker was not happy to see Hasbulla in the cage after he lost at UFC 267.

Heading into his short-notice fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege, Islam Makhachev, at UFC 267, Hooker made it clear that he did not like Hasbulla Magomedov. The so…

Dan Hooker Hasbulla

Dan Hooker was not happy to see Hasbulla in the cage after he lost at UFC 267.

Heading into his short-notice fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege, Islam Makhachev, at UFC 267, Hooker made it clear that he did not like Hasbulla Magomedov. The social media sensation said that he was coming to Abu Dhabi to attend the event, simply to support Makhachev, and this rubbed the New Zealander the wrong way.

So, to add insult to injury after a quick and devastating first-round submission loss, none other than Khabib himself was seen inside the Octagon with Hasbulla atop his shoulders.

UFC 267: Islam Makhachev expects title shot vs. Dustin Poirier

Speaking to The Mac Life, Hooker explained that seeing this after losing made him frustrated, and he even considered chucking Hasbulla off of the former lightweight champion’s shoulders in the event Hasbulla tried his signature sneak-attack punch move.

“That was pretty hard. Like, I’m standing there, ‘cos I know his (Hasbulla) trick where he does the photo and then as soon as he gets the photo, he punches the guy, and then Khabib comes over. You’ve gotta take it, you’ve gotta wear that sh*t; that’s just part of it, that’s part of losing. You’ve gotta stand there in the ring, let the other guy get his roses and you’ve gotta just stand there and take it on the chin,” Hooker said.

“But Hasbulla comes over and I was just like, I shook his hand and I was just like, ‘If this tiny motherf*cker touches me.’ I was like, ‘I’mma ace him right off Khabib’s shoulders, like, I’m not in the mood.’ [LAUGHS] But he didn’t, so that was all good.”

Luckily, it did not come to that, and Dan Hooker did not feel compelled to throw Hasbulla around. Dana White has suggested that the Russian little person may have something going with the UFC soon and is even rumored to have offered big bucks to try to give him a fight in the UFC. So who knows, maybe a fight between these two could go down in the future, mano y mano, without the help of the Dagestan squad.

Watch the full video with Dan Hooker below:

Continue Reading Hooker Was Ready To “Ace” Hasbulla Off Khabib’s Shoulders At UFC 267 at MMA News.