Tag: Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev Rebuts Alvarez’s Claim That Gaethje Deserves Title Shot

Islam Makhachev has fiercely defended his perceived right to the next lightweight title shot, dismissing Eddie Alvarez’s claim that Justin Gaethje is more deserving.

With Charles Oliveira set to defend his belt against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 on …

Makhachev Alvarez Gaethje

Islam Makhachev has fiercely defended his perceived right to the next lightweight title shot, dismissing Eddie Alvarez’s claim that Justin Gaethje is more deserving.

With Charles Oliveira set to defend his belt against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 on December 11, the question of who will face the winner has been hotly debated in recent weeks.

If you asked Makhachev, it is without a shadow of a doubt he who is most deserving. And the #4 ranked lightweight has a legitimate claim. Makhachev is currently riding a 9-fight win streak, having recently earned a first-round submission of Dan Hooker at UFC 267.

Islam Makhachev Dan Hooker
PHOTO: NZ HERALD

No more of a cheerleader for Islam’s title shot ambitions can be found than Khabib Nurmagomedov. The former lightweight champ, now coach of Makhachev, recently took to social media to declare that his pupil is far more deserving of a title shot than Gaethje, noting that the American has been finished in three of his last eight fights.

Gaethje, of course, vehemently denied his former Octagon dance partner’s assertion and advanced the argument that his recent losses came to fighters of a caliber far beyond that which Makhachev has faced. With this argument, many fans and pundits, agree, noting that Makhachev is yet to face top-five opposition.

Among those siding with Gaethje has been former lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez, who recently took to Twitter to defend the American’s record, and assert that even with three recent finishes against his name, he’s still more deserving of being next in line for a shot at the belt.

Islam Makhachev Fires Back At Alvarez, Defends Right To Title Shot

Now, Makhachev has clapped back at Alvarez, absolving himself of blame for his less than star-studded list of recent opponents, claiming that those in the 155-pound division’s top ten have been avoiding him.

“It’s not my fault that I did not fight with ranked opponent, everybody declines to fight with me.  And still, I’m #4 now. Name a single fighter from top 10 who wants to fight me now. UFC had to overpay Hooker to take this fight, It’s slowly turning into boxing,” tweeted Makhachev.

Who do you think deserves the next lightweight title shot—Islam Makhachev or Justin Gaethje?

Continue Reading Islam Makhachev Rebuts Alvarez’s Claim That Gaethje Deserves Title Shot at MMA News.

Khabib Retaliates After Tony Ferguson’s Social Media Onslaught

Khabib Nurmagomedov is sending some Twitter fire Tony Ferguson’s way.

Many believe that the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson is the one that got away. The two were set to fight each other on several occasions, but it never panned…

Khabib Nurmagomedov Tony Ferguson

Khabib Nurmagomedov is sending some Twitter fire Tony Ferguson’s way.

Many believe that the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson is the one that got away. The two were set to fight each other on several occasions, but it never panned out. Now, these two fighters are back at each other’s throats again, but this time it is on social media. Nurmagomedov has taken it upon himself to send the latest shot towards Ferguson.

“For the last three years Tony Ferguson you never won a single round in the
@ufc,” Nurmagomedov wrote. “Some of the rounds you lost 10:8. Since 2015 you won only one fighter from top 15. Tony, it’s a clear picture here, I’m not gonna go low and personal, not gonna insult you. It’s just a facts.”

These harsh words are coming in response to several posts Ferguson sent out that attacked Nurmagomedov.

“We Were Right Here In The Middle Of Negotiations Coward. Dana Picked Me To Fight Ol’Boy. You & Khabieber Chose The Easy Fight,” Ferguson responded when manager Ali Abdelaziz accused Ferguson of ducking Makhachev in the past.

“Listen You Fat Phuck @TeamKhabib Last Time I Saw You, Ya Ran Off To A Different Country Like A Little Bitch To Avoid Our Title Fight. The Time Before That Ya Faked A Stomach Ache To Get Out Of Our Title Fight. Shut Cha’Trap. Leave The Man Shit To The Ones On The Front Line”

The rekindled beef between these two seemed to stem from a statement from Nurmagomedov regarding who should be next for the lightweight title shot. Nurmagomedov believes his teammate Islam Makhachev deserves the next shot at champion Oliveira. He has mentioned this on several occasions.

Gaethje is closer to the title shot than Ferguson at this point, but this could be a plan to get a fight with Makhachev. Targeting Nurmagomedov to get a fight with his protégé has been done in the past for Rafael dos Anjos. Ferguson has lost three in a row, all against top-five fighters. If he is looking for a fight with the Russian standout, he could be heading in the right direction.

Do you think Khabib Nurmagomedov is right about Tony Ferguson?

Continue Reading Khabib Retaliates After Tony Ferguson’s Social Media Onslaught at MMA News.

Holloway Still Open To 155lb, Might See Makhachev ‘In The Near Future

Max Holloway is not ruling out a return to the lightweight division.

Holloway is known for his championship-winning efforts at featherweight, being considered one of the greatest fighters in that division’s history. However, he did attempt to move …

Max Holloway Islam Makhachev

Max Holloway is not ruling out a return to the lightweight division.

Holloway is known for his championship-winning efforts at featherweight, being considered one of the greatest fighters in that division’s history. However, he did attempt to move to the 155lb division while still featherweight champ, ultimately losing a decision to Dustin Poirier for the interim title.

Another fight that he was expected to have, was a short notice title fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov when Tony Ferguson pulled out of their vacant title fight but was ruled ineligible to compete. When asked in a recent interview with RT Sport what his game plan would have been if he did fight Khabib, Max would not give an answer, because he says that he might return to 155lb at some point and could end up fighting Khabib’s protégé, Islam Makhachev.

“(I would) go out there and fight my fight, you know? Do what Max Holloway does, fight my pace, fight my fight, get in his face, get early, and just get it done. I can’t give away too much. Your boy still might go up to ’55, and there’s Islam over there, that trains with, that is Khabib’s protege that’s coming up. So at the end of the day, I can’t give away my secrets too much, ’cause we might see this guy in the near future,” Holloway said.

Max Holloway has long been flirting with an eventual move to lightweight, but if he is able to get past Yair Rodriguez at UFC Vegas 42 this weekend, he will likely be next for the title shot. That said, if he comes up short in a third fight against Alexander Volkanovski, a move to lightweight could make the most sense for his career.

You can check out the full interview with Max Holloway below:

Continue Reading Holloway Still Open To 155lb, Might See Makhachev ‘In The Near Future at MMA News.

Vettori Names The One Lightweight Who Will Give Makhachev Problems

UFC middleweight contender Marvin Vettori has revealed who he thinks will cause surging lightweight Islam Makhachev the most trouble at 155 pounds.

Makhachev’s rise up the divisional ladder has been as fast as it’s been dominant. Since a shock knoc…

Islam Makhachev, Marvin Vettori

UFC middleweight contender Marvin Vettori has revealed who he thinks will cause surging lightweight Islam Makhachev the most trouble at 155 pounds.

Makhachev’s rise up the divisional ladder has been as fast as it’s been dominant. Since a shock knockout loss to Adriano Martins at UFC 192 in 2015, the Dagestani has gone 9-0. Among his active streak has been victories over Nik Lentz, Gleison Tibau, Arman Tsarukyan, and Drew Dober.

After submitting Dober in March this year, Makhachev secured his first UFC main event spot. In the UFC Vegas 31 headliner, the 30-year-old fought ranked contender Thiago Moisés. In the fourth round, Makhachev locked in a rear-naked choke and forced the Brazilian to tap.

Having somewhat controversially jumped into the top five following his win against the #14-ranked lightweight, Makhachev entered the Octagon for the third time this year at UFC 267 last month. After his bitter rival Rafael dos Anjos withdrew, he took on Dan Hooker, who accepted the fight just days out from his rebound victory over Nasrat Haqparast.

In front of a strong Russian presence in Abu Dhabi, Makhachev recorded his third submission triumph of the year, and perhaps his most impressive to date. It took him just two minutes and 25 seconds to take “The Hangman” down, lock in a brutal kimura, and force the submission.

Vettori Touts Teammate Dariush As Makhachev’s Biggest Test

Makhachev has always been touted as a future champion by his friend and teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov and AKA head coach Javier Mendez. His victory over Hooker certainly spread the consensus that the Dagestani is capable of big things in the UFC. One man that took notice was former middleweight title challenger Marvin Vettori.

During an appearance on the Real Quick With Mike Swick Podcast, “The Italian Dream” revealed he’d trained with Makhachev in Las Vegas, and described him as a fantastic fighter. However, he did suggest there’s one man in the lightweight top five who will cause him problems inside the Octagon.

“Islam is a great guy. I had the chance to train with him one time in Vegas actually. He’s a hell of a fighter for sure. But there’s one guy, there’s one guy that might have, you now, will give him a lot of problems. I don’t know if I wanna see this fight now or when either of them is champ. That guy is my teammate Beneil Dariush. That’d be a crazy fight and I can’t wait to see that eventually. But yeah, he’s (Makhachev) a phenomenal fighter.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPAMPz8hHVt/

Dariush currently sits at #3 in the 155-pound division. Since defeats to Edson Barboza and Alexander Hernandez, the Iranian-American has built a seven-fight winning streak that includes highlight-reel knockouts of Drakkar Klose and Scott Holtzman, as well as triumphs against Drew Dober and Thiago Moisés.

After getting past Carlos Diego Ferreira, Dariush secured a pay-per-view co-main event against former interim champ Tony Ferguson. In dominant fashion, the 32-year-old had his hand raised at UFC 262 via unanimous decision. He then found himself inside the top three and within touching distance of a title shot. With Justin Gaethje seemingly next in line following his victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 268, it stands to reason Dariush will face either “Iron” or Makhachev in a title eliminator.

How do you think a fight between Islam Makhachev and Beneil Dariush would play out?

Continue Reading Vettori Names The One Lightweight Who Will Give Makhachev Problems at MMA News.

Matchmaking The Lightweight Division’s Top 10 After UFC 268

The UFC’s lightweight division has been considered the best division for years as the top-10 is a who’s who of talent. Yet, recently, the top of it has been clogged and after UFC 268 the future of the division is uncertain as Justin Gaethje, Islam Mak…

Conor McGregor

The UFC’s lightweight division has been considered the best division for years as the top-10 is a who’s who of talent. Yet, recently, the top of it has been clogged and after UFC 268 the future of the division is uncertain as Justin Gaethje, Islam Makhachev, and Beneil Dariush could all be fighting for UFC gold next time out.

With the division uncertain, I decided to matchmake the top of the lightweight division and provide some clarity of what should happen going forward.

Charles Oliveira (champion) vs. Dustin Poirier (1)

This fight is already booked for the main event of UFC 269 on December 11. It was the fight to make after both Oliveira and Poirier won their fights back in May and July.

Justin Gaethje (2) vs. Oliveira-Poirier winner

The second-ranked lightweight in Justin Gaethje deserves the next lightweight title fight. Although he’s only on a one-fight winning streak, his UFC 268 win over Michael Chandler is the Fight of the Year right now and it cemented him as the next title challenger.

Gaethje has already fought Poirier in what was the Fight of the Night. With that, a rematch would be highly-anticipated. If Oliveira wins, it’s an intriguing matchup and would test Gaethje’s ground game. Regardless, “The Highlight” should be fighting for UFC gold next time out.

Beneil Dariush (3) vs. Islam Makhachev (4)

Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev (Image Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

With Gaethje getting the next title shot, Beneil Dariush vs. Islam Makhachev should be booked as the number one contender. Both men could fight for the title, but an extra win would only strengthen their case and add some hype to their name.

If Dariush wins, he would get some hype as he would be the one to stop Makhachev who many view as a future champ. If Makhachev wins, it’s a top-three win he needs as he has yet to beat anyone ranked inside the top-five. It could headline a Fight Night card or be on the same card as Oliveira/Poirier winner vs. Gaethje.

Michael Chandler (5) vs. Conor McGregor (9)

Both Michael Chandler and Conor McGregor will likely be out until the summer but when they return, they can match them up with one another in what would be an all-action fight.

Chandler and McGregor are both on a two-fight losing streak but both have a ton of hype and are looking to get back into the win column. Both men have the ability to get knocked out or get a knockout in this fight. It would be a massive fight for the main event of the June or July pay-per-view where the winner would then be one win away from a title shot.

Rafael dos Anjos (6) vs. Gregor Gillespie (10)

Rafael dos Anjos returned to the lightweight division and picked up a big win over Paul Felder who took the fight on short notice. He was booked to fight Makhachev a few times but it never came to fruition and when he returns a fight against Gregor Gillespie makes sense.

Gillespie deserves a chance to fight someone ranked above him, while dos Anjos is the odd man out of fighting someone in the top-five. If he can beat Gillespie he would get a top-five opponent. It could headline a Fight Night card in early 2022 or be on a pay-per-view card.

Tony Ferguson (7) vs. Dan Hooker (8)

In the final matchmaking of the top-10 of the lightweight division, Tony Ferguson vs. Dan Hooker makes all the sense in the world. Ferguson and Hooker like to stand and trade and both have proven to be durable. It also has all the makings to be a main card fight on a pay-per-view in early 2022 in what could be the Fight of the Night.

Both Ferguson and Hooker also seem to be on the outside looking in for the title picture, so a fun fight will do.

How would you match-make the top-10 of the lightweight division?

Continue Reading Matchmaking The Lightweight Division’s Top 10 After UFC 268 at MMA News.

Daniel Cormier Changes His Tune On The Lightweight Title Picture

Daniel CormierDaniel Cormier now accepts that Justin Gaethje is next in line for a shot at the lightweight title after previously claiming Islam Makhachev had leapfrogged ‘The Highlight’ with his first-round submission win over Dan Hooker at UFC 267. ‘DC’ took to social media following the Abu Dhabi based event to heap praise on his teammate […]

Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier now accepts that Justin Gaethje is next in line for a shot at the lightweight title after previously claiming Islam Makhachev had leapfrogged ‘The Highlight’ with his first-round submission win over Dan Hooker at UFC 267.

‘DC’ took to social media following the Abu Dhabi based event to heap praise on his teammate while simultaneously downplaying the significance of the UFC 268 fight between Gaethje and Michael Chandler.

The former interim lightweight champion issued a fiery response to Cormier and the pair went back-and-forth for a while. Gaethje later accused ‘DC’ of “blatant bias”.

Ahead of his eagerly anticipated fight with Chandler, Gaethje insisted that he is next in line with a win and that if he didn’t get the winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Dustin Poirier, he would start a “riot”.

In the opening fight of the UFC 268 main card, Gaethje and Chandler put on one of the best lightweight fights of all-time. The two men went to war for three rounds before ‘The Highlight’ walked away with a unanimous decision win.

Daniel Cormier Expects Justin Gaethje To Get The Next Lightweight Title Shot

After watching Gaethje’s impressive UFC 268 performance, Cormier appears to have changed his tune on who should be next in line at 155lbs.

“Last night he went out there and did what he had to do in order to ensure that he keeps his championship fight, because he fought Michael Chandler and beat Michael Chandler – a very trained, well-prepared Michael Chandler,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “So hat’s off to Justin Gaethje, and honestly, I believe that he will be the guy to fight for the belt next.”

“Islam will have to fight again, and that’s OK because I believe that Islam will be able to handle just about any challenges in front of him,” Cormier added. “You have to, right? If you’re going to be the champ, you have to.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)

Do you agree with Daniel Cormier? Is Justin Gaethje next in line at 155lbs?