Tag: Islam Makhachev

UFC champion Islam Makhachev not excited by potential Max Holloway matchup – not yet, at least

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev doesn’t think it’s the right time to fight Max Holloway.

UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] doesn’t think it’s the right time to fight former featherweight champ [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag].

Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) knocked out Justin Gaethje with a historic last-second finish at UFC 300, eliminating “The Highlight” from the 155-pound title race.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) defends his title against Dustin Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the UFC 302 main event June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. His focus is on Poirier then Arman Tsarukyan, who cemented himself as No. 1 contender by beating Charles Oliveira.

“If he beats a couple more guys in my division, we can fight,” Makhachev said in an interview with the New York Post. “I don’t want to give him chance now because I have some contenders who I have to beat. Now I have Dustin; after we have Arman. I think I have some job in my division; he has job in his division. Maybe if he wins his next fight. Maybe he beats (Ilia) Topuria, and I finish all my two fights, maybe.”

If it were up to Makhachev, he would move up to welterweight to challenge Leon Edwards – a fight that was offered to him at UFC 300. Makhachev declined as he would have had to prep for the fight while observing Ramadan.

“My dream fight, I have to fight in the next division, 170,” Makhachev said. “I have to fight Leon Edwards. I already gave a chance to fighters at 145. That’s why I need my chance at a second belt. …Honestly, I don’t have any exciting fights, because Dustin has just one-fight win streak.

“And we have Arman, but I already beat this guy. I don’t have some job in my division, in my opinion, honestly. And I think I have a chance. They have to give me the chance for a second belt because I already beat the old guys.”

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For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Islam Makhachev’s coach: ‘Biggest threat’ Justin Gaethje no longer in UFC title picture

Javier Mendez believes UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev’s most dangerous opponent is out of the way.

Javier Mendez believes UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s most dangerous opponent is out of the way.

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] lined himself up for a title shot after knocking out Dustin Poirier to claim the BMF title at UFC 291. However, he opted to defend his belt against Max Holloway at UFC 300 and was on the receiving end of a last-second knockout.

Now Mendez isn’t sure if Gaethje (25-5 MMA, 8-5 UFC) will ever face Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in a title fight.

“Yeah, to me, the guy out of all the guys that I thought for us stylistically was very dangerous out of all of them, I thought it was Justin Gaethje,” Mendez said on his YouTube channel. “Stylistically because of his wrestling pedigree and his striking is really good, strong.

“It’s all apples and oranges right? Because everybody brings a different skillset, so I thought that he was the biggest threat for us and now he’s probably never going to be in the picture for us going forward. So, no need to talk about him for us as a threat because he’s never going to be there, I think.”

Mendez already had to prep for Gaethje before when Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his title against him. Nurmagomedov submitted him in Round 2 at UFC 254 but lost Round 1 on two of the three judges’ scorecards.

Makhachev will defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the UFC 302 main event June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Waiting in the wings is Arman Tsarukyan, who edged out Charles Oliveira at UFC 300.

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For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Michael Chandler: Arman Tsarukyan made a mistake by turning down UFC 302 vs. Islam Makhachev

Michael Chandler disagrees with Arman Tsarukyan turning down Islam Makhachev on short notice.

[autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] disagrees with [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] turning down [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] on short notice.

Tsarukyan defeated Charles Oliveira this past Saturday at UFC 300 to cement himself as No. 1 contender. He was immediately offered a title fight against lightweight champion Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) for UFC 302 on June 1, but Tsarukyan declined due to not having enough time to prepare.

Chandler thinks Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) made a mistake that could cost him down the line.

“Arman just went out there and beat Oliveira, sounds like he’s going to be No. 1 contender next,” Chandler said on “The MMA Hour.” “I also don’t understand why he didn’t take that fight. I would have taken it. Man, this sport moves fast. This sport moves very fast.

“June 1, you’re going to see the lightweight title (fight) happen, and then a couple weeks later, you’re going to see the biggest fight (Chandler vs. McGregor), a fight that’s way bigger than that happen, and both guys can make lightweight. The sport moves fast, so you’ve got to take your opportunities and you’ve got to pounce on them.”

Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) knows it sounds ironic coming from him after a long wait for his fight against Conor McGregor to have a date but insists he wasn’t offered a single fight in the meantime. Chandler will face McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in a welterweight bout at UFC 303 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier: Odds and what to know ahead of UFC 302 headliner

Islam Makhachev will attempt to make his third title defense against fan-favorite Dustin Poirier at UFC 302. Here’s what you need to know.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s pleas for a return to competition were answered with a UFC 302 lightweight title defense against [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] this summer.

Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier preview

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) seeks his third successful title defense and his first against someone not named Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev rides a 13-fight winning streak into the bout.

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) will get a rare third shot at UFC gold after two unsuccessful attempts. Poirier’s first title bid was made against Makhachev’s mentor and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2019. He challenged for the title in 2021 and lost to Charles Oliveira. Both defeats were submissions.

Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier preliminary odds

Accord to preliminary odds on FanDuel, the fight is something of a mismatch, with Makhachev listed as a heavy -500 favorite, and Poirier as the +340 underdog.

How to watch Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 302

  • When: Saturday, June 1, 2024
  • Where: Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.
  • Streaming: ESPN+ pay-per-view

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: UFC 300 review, Holloway wins BMF title, Makhachev & McGregor return, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses the fallout of UFC 300 including, Holloway’s BMF win, McGregor’s return, and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate everything around UFC 300:

  • The UFC reached its 300th pay-per-view event, a big milestone for the Las Vegas-based promotion. Where does this massive event rank in UFC history? On paper, it was a great card, and it delivered as promised.
  • [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] arguably made the biggest statement on Saturday night. The former UFC featherweight champion knocked out [autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] in brutal fashion with one second remaining in the fight for the BMF title. So what’s next for Holloway? Should he stay at 155 pounds or go back to 145? Holloway has many options after this career-defining win.
  • On top of Holloway’s win, there were several other important lightweight bouts, as well as other lightweight bookings announced: [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] defeated former champion [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag], [autotag]Renato Moicano[/autotag] stopped Jalin Turner and [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag] picked apart Jim Miller. Additionally, the [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] title defense vs. [autotag]Dutin Poirier[/autotag] was made official, along with the return of [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag], who faces lightweight standout [autotag]Michael Chandler[/autotag] in a welterweight bout. Big news and results that heavily impact the UFC lightweight division.
  • In the main event of UFC 300, [autotag]Alex Pereira[/autotag] successfully defended his light heavyweight belt for the very first time, knocking out [autotag]Jamahal Hill[/autotag]. It was a huge win for the Brazilian, who requested a heavyweight fight in a quick turnaround at UFC 301 in Brazil next month.
  • In the other undisputed title fight, [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag] defended her UFC strawweight belt against fellow Chinese fighter [autotag]Yan Xiaonan[/autotag]. It was a solid showing by Weili, who logged the second title defense of her second championship reign.
  • [autotag]Kayla Harrison[/autotag] made a huge splash on Saturday night. In a dominant showing, she submitted former champion [autotag]Holly Holm[/autotag], a victory that even caught the attention of former two-division UFC champion [autotag]Amanda Nunes[/autotag]. What’s next for Harrison? Is she a future UFC champion? We unpack it all.
  • Lastly, several other big storylines went down at UFC 300. The panel quickly reviews [autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag]’s featherweight debut, [autotag]Bo Nickal[/autotag]’s submission win, [autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]’ most recent first-round finish and more.

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Daniel Cormier: Arman Tsarukyan toughest, least lucrative fight for UFC champ Islam Makhachev

Daniel Cormier simply doesn’t see the upside to Islam Makhachev defending his UFC title in a rematch with Arman Tsarukyan.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] believes UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] should avoid fighting [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag].

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) is steering toward the direction of Dustin Poirier for his next title defense, but a No. 1 contender is expected to emerge out of UFC 300.

Saturday features two marquee lightweight matchups as Justin Gaethje defends his BMF title against Max Holloway, along with former champ Charles Oliveira and Tsarukyan squaring off as they eye rematches with Makhachev. Cormier said Makhachev has the least to gain from fighting Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC).

“Islam and Tsarukyan would be probably the lowest-selling fight of all those fights, but it would be the absolute toughest,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “Tsarukyan has a style that lends itself to being competitive against Makhachev. … I believe that Tsarukyan fight is the toughest fight. I don’t know that it’s the most lucrative fight for Makhachev.

“Who you don’t want, honestly, is Arman Tsarukyan. Not because you’re afraid of him, but you don’t really want it because it doesn’t seem to make sense. He needs a little bit more. Maybe he gets the rub from beating Charles Oliveira if he can this weekend and that helps, but I still don’t believe that it generates the revenue for you as a champion, as a Dustin Poirier or a Justin Gaethje.”

Tsarukyan faced Makhachev in his UFC debut in April 2019, losing a competitive decision. He has since gone 8-1, most recently knocking out Beneil Dariush in the first round at UFC on ESPN 52.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Max Holloway fires back at Islam Makhachev for calling UFC 300 fight vs. Justin Gaethje useless

The way Max Holloway sees it, UFC champ Islam Makhachev should’ve fought in February when he had the chance.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] has clapped back at UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] for criticizing his fight with Justin Gaethje.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) told MMA Junkie that he thinks the BMF title fight between Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and Holloway (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) on Saturday at UFC 300 is useless since it leaves him without an opponent for his next title defense. But Holloway points the finger at Makhachev, who hasn’t competed since knocking out Alexander Volkanovski last October at UFC 294. He finds it laughable that Volkanovski has competed since then but not Makhachev.

“I saw Islam talk about, ‘Oh, this fight makes no sense and blah, blah, blah.’ I’m like, ‘Brother, you should’ve fought Justin in February,'” Holloway said on the “MIGHTYcast” with Demetrious Johnson. “Why did the guy you knocked out turn around so fast and fight in February when you were healthy? You should’ve turned around and came (back in) February. Everybody knows you can’t fight in Ramadan, and that’s why they couldn’t do the fight on 300 with Leon (Edwards) or he couldn’t get another fight, but he’s complaining like, ‘I can’t get fights.’ I’m like, it’s because you’re only fighting around the times that you want to fight. It’s not that you can’t get fights. You’re just not taking the fights that are offered because of certain things going on.

“If he really wanted to fight, I thought he would’ve turned around and fought in February. It made no sense to make the guy who just got a brutal knockout to turn around and fight in February.”

Makhachev, who is Muslim, has made it clear that he won’t compete during Ramadan, which saw it’s final day Tuesday. Instead, he’s targeting a return in June against Dustin Poirier, the only current available top lightweight contender.

On Saturday’s main card, Gaethje takes on Holloway, whereas Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan battle in an expected No. 1 contender bout.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

UFC 300’s Justin Gaethje not keen on June turnaround for Islam Makhachev, defers to Oliveira-Tsarukyan winner

Justin Gaethje struggles to see a scenario where he defeats Max Holloway at UFC 300 then challenges Islam Makhachev just seven weeks later.

[autotag]Justin Gaethje[/autotag] struggles to see a scenario where he defeats Max Holloway at UFC 300 then challenges [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] for the lightweight title seven weeks later.

The BMF title matchup between reigning champ Gaethje (25-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC) and Holloway (25-7 MMA, 21-7 UFC) on Saturday’s card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) has been met with some resistance within the MMA community, especially from those who think it’s derailed the natural order of the lightweight title picture.

Both current 155-pound champion Islam Makhachev and former titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov have been critical of UFC’s matchmaking, because they thought Gaethje should’ve been the next challenger. With Charles Oliveira and Arman Tsarukyan also set to fight at UFC 300, Makhachev doesn’t think anyone is going to meet his desired timeline of competing at UFC 302 on June 1 in Newark, N.J., which is why he called out Dustin Poirier for the date.

Gaethje admits he would be “annoyed” if Poirier, whom he knocked out at UFC 291 in July to claim the BMF title, got the fight against Makhachev. He can’t see himself fighting in June, though, and said his preferred timeline for his title shot would be toward the tail-end of the year.

“Ideally, they’re calling this Oliveira-Tsarukyan fight a title eliminator, so the winner of that fight fights (Makhachev) in June, then I fight the winner of that in preferably Madison Square Garden in November,” Gaethje told MMA Junkie. “That sounds like a perfect timeline for me. I’ll definitely have my time to rest, recovery and retrain myself to get ready for that fight. That’s the perfect situation for me. We’ll see if Oliveira sh*ts the bed again. I think if Tsarukyan wins he takes it because they are calling this a title eliminator, so whoever wins is going to have to fight that fight.”

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Gaethje said he appreciates the supporters who think he should be fighting Makhachev next instead of Holloway. However, it’s too late for that to matter. He’s fully mentally and physically prepared for battle with Holloway this weekend, and if he handles his business, he’s certain his next fight will be for UFC lightweight told.

“I think if you appreciate the way that this sport works, I fought (Rafael) Fiziev, I knocked out the No. 2 guy and there’s nobody left,” Gaethje said. “Oliveira was supposed to fight him in October. I was supposed to fight the winner of that fight in February. But it did not work out like that so this is where we’re at, and this is what I have to take care of.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Arman Tsarukyan was nervous about UFC future after Islam Makhachev loss

Arman Tsarukyan feared he could be on the chopping block after losing his UFC debut.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] feared he could be on the chopping block after he lost his UFC debut.

Tsarukyan (21-3 MMA, 8-2 UFC) stepped in on short notice to face none other than current UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in April 2019. Tsarukyan put up a valiant effort, but fell short in a unanimous decision loss.

He then drew another high-level grappler in Olivier Aubin-Mercier, and that’s when the fear kicked in. A young Tsarukyan saw it as a must-win fight that his UFC career depended on.

“My hardest fight in the UFC was my second one (vs. Olivier Aubin-Mercier),” Tsarukyan told Red Corner MMA. “I lost to Islam and flew to Canada with no coaches. I felt nervous as I thought that if I’d lost, they would’ve removed me from the UFC – 0-2 in the UFC and my career is over. So I was scared of embarrassing myself.”

Tsarukyan ended up notching the win in another hard-fought battle. But Tsarukyan thinks the nature in which he won the fight didn’t make him the promotion’s favorite prospect.

“I won the first round, and the second round was really close, and it was in Canada,” Tsarukyan said. “So I am sitting in my corner and saying to myself, ‘If I lose the third one, it’s over for me.’ I managed to win the fight, although the UFC didn’t like the way I got the win.

“And for a couple of years, they didn’t treat me so well. I was not getting as many fights as I wanted. But then they realized my true potential. I was on a five-fight winning streak and they saw some champion material in me, and now I’m in the position I have always wanted to be.”

Tsarukyan is 8-1 since losing to Makhachev and on the cusp of title contention. He meets former champion Charles Oliveira (34-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) at UFC 300 on April 13 – a No. 1 contender bout according to UFC CEO Dana White.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 300.

Javier Mendez disagrees with Daniel Cormier’s claim that Islam Makhachev more dangerous than Khabib Nurmagomedov

For Javier Mendez, Islam Makhachev is more skilled than Khabib Nurmagomedov but not more dangerous.

For [autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag], [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] is more skilled than [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] but not more dangerous.

[autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag], who also trained under Mendez at American Kickboxing Academy, said UFC lightweight champion Makhachev is even more dangerous than former champ Nurmagomedov was during his prime.

Mendez heavily disagrees.

“OK, he’s more skilled in multiple areas, yes,” Mendez told MMA Mania. “More dangerous? Nobody is more dangerous, in my opinion, in the world than Khabib. Nobody, no one, I don’t care. I haven’t seen one that is more dangerous than Khabib in the sense of danger. I mean, you can’t do nothing to him. It’s very difficult to do anything to him.”

Mendez raved about Nurmagomedov’s chin. “The Eagle” retired undefeated and never tasted his own blood in 29 professional fights. Mendez says only one fighter was able to briefly stun Nurmagomedov.

“Khabib is the most dangerous because, first of all, in my opinion and I’m being biased because I love him to death, he’s got the hardest chin I’ve ever seen on anybody,” Mendez continued. “He’s been hit. The only person who rocked him a little bit, a tiny bit, was Michael Johnson.

“Michael Johnson hit him with one hell of a shot and other than that, no one else has hit him with anything. Justin Gaethje’s hit him, but did nothing. He steamrolls everybody. I think ‘DC’ probably meant more skilled, yes that’s correct. But, more dangerous? I don’t think there’s ever been a man more dangerous than Khabib.”

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