Tag: Islam Makhachev

Michael Bisping: Dustin Poirier’s record ‘smokes’ Islam Makhachev’s

Michael Bisping rates Dustin Poirier’s resume a lot higher than Islam Makhachev’s.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] rates [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]’s resume a lot higher than [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s.

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) challenges lightweight champion Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 302 (pay-per-view/ESPN2/ESPN+) main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Makhachev is the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, but Bisping thinks Poirier has the more impressive skins on his wall.

“When you look at the record of Dustin Poirier and you compare it to Islam Makhachev’s, Dustin’s record smokes Islam’s – which sounds like I’m being disrespectful to Islam. I’m not,” Bisping said on his “Believe You Me” podcast. “But when you look at Islam: (He) fought Bobby Green, then it was for the belt against (Charles) Oliveira, then twice against (Alexander) Volkanovski.

“When you look at Poirier, I mean, it’s insane: Max Holloway multiple times, Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, Anthony Pettis, Conor McGregor three times, Jim Miller, Dan Hooker, Oliveira, (Michael) Chandler, Gaethje again, Benoit Saint Denis. In terms of experience, he’s fought the tougher guys. I think that’s fair to say. Now, competition in common, Islam beat Charles Oliveira whereas Dustin lost.”

Poirier teased the possibility of retirement after fighting Makhachev. Bisping, who endured a similar long road to Poirier before realizing UFC gold, thinks “The Diamond” definitely changes his mind if he wins.

“I think if he wins, he’s going to defend that belt,” Bisping said. “I mean, I had the eye issue. (My wife) Rebecca said, ‘Right, OK, so you finally got your title fight, are you going to retire, win or lose?’ I’m like, ‘Babe, if I lose, I’ll retire. If I win, you’re out of your goddamn mind. We’re getting the big bucks.’

“So I think if Dustin pulls it off, I think we’ll see him stick around. If he loses, then that will be a great time and the perfect send-off. It would be emotional because Dustin’s given the sport so much. He’s been a fantastic ambassador. He’s fought with nothing but his heart and soul.”

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

‘Eagle is landed’: Khabib Nurmagomedov returns to corner Islam Makhachev at UFC 302

UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov will return to Islam Makhachev’s corner for the UFC 302 main event against Dustin Poirier.

After a two-fight absence, Hall of Famer [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] will return to [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag]’s corner at UFC 302 against Dustin Poirier.

In the headliner of the pay-per-view event, Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) will look to defend his lightweight title against former interim titleholder Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (ESPN+ PPV).

Makhachev is excited to have his close friend back in his corner after Nurmagomedov was absent for consecutive victories over former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

“Eagle is landed in Jersey City,” Makhachev said in a video on the UFC’s Instagram page. “He’s going to be in my corner. Honestly, I’m very happy because he’s one of the best corner, coach, brother, friend.”

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C7h09kySciF/

Nurmagomedov was last present in Makhachev’s corner for the vacant lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. Makhachev submitted Oliveira in Round 2 to become the new undisputed champion.

“The Eagle” was absent from Makhachev’s first and second title defenses against Volkanovski as he stepped away from the sport completely to be with his family. Even without Nurmagomedov physically present, Makhachev said he still felt Nurmagomedov’s influence as he helped from afar. Makhachev would defeat Volkanovski by unanimous decision in their first meeting and then land a vicious head kick for a first-round knockout in the rematch.

Friends since childhood, Makhachev and Nurmagomedov have been tightly linked throughout their MMA careers as training partners. After retiring from competition, Nurmagomedov became a coach and mentor. Now, for his third lightweight title bout, Makhachev will have his top cornerman at his side to take on Poirier.

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Alexander Volkanovski predicts Islam Makhachev will finish Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 – but how?

Alexander Volkanovski sees Islam Makhachev reigning over the lightweight division for a while.

[autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] sees [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] reigning over the lightweight division for a while.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) defends his lightweight title against [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 302 (pay-per-view/ESPN2/ESPN+) headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

“Islam’s going to be too good,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “I think he’s too safe of a fighter to make mistakes where he’s going to get caught against someone like Dustin Poirier. Dustin Poirier is a great fighter. I just think it’s a hard fight for anybody and I don’t see anyone beating Islam for a while – unless they catch him, right?”

In a matchup between two southpaws, former featherweight champion Volkanovski analyzed where Makhachev could face problems – even though he thinks he’s too calculated to fall into them.

“He doesn’t like to come in straight where he feels in danger,” Volkanovski said of Makhachev. “He’ll make sure he’s off center. His head is off line and then he gets himself back into a better posture as he’s taking you down. Khabib was like this, as well. The posture is not right, but he’s doing this to keep his head off center and not in the firing line, and he still does a great takedown from there.

“But now he’s going to be doing that with a southpaw fighter. So you dip, you’re going to be a lot more comfortable shooting. If someone pressures you and gets you off guard, or your instinct reaction is to shoot, most of the time you’re shooting against orthodox fighters, your head’s going to dip to this side. Now you’re dipping to the power side of Poirier because he’s southpaw: power side uppercuts, power side kicks, power side knees.”

Volkanovski fought Makhachev twice – losing a close decision at UFC 284, then getting knocked out in their short-notice rematch at UFC 294. He predicts that Makhachev will put Poirier away.

“I think Islam is that good where it’s going to be a finish,” Volkanovski said. “I think it’s going to be a submission finish.”

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

Charles Oliveira doesn’t see Dustin Poirier or Arman Tsarukyan dethroning UFC champ Islam Makhachev

Charles Oliveira picks Islam Makhachev to beat Dustin Poirier and Arman Tsarukyan.

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] picks [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] to beat [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] and [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag].

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) defends his lightweight title against Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 302 (pay-per-view/ESPN2/ESPN+) headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Oliveira (34-10 MMA, 22-10 UFC) fought both Makhachev and Poirier before. “Do Bronx” choked out Poirier to retain his lightweight title at UFC 269 and was dropped and submitted in his vacant title fight against Makhachev at UFC 280.

“Every striker that faces Islam is going to be the same thing: (Makhachev) will take you down and have bigger chances at winning,” Oliveira told MMA Fighting. “But we’re talking about MMA, and one hand, one strike that lands can definitely get you the victory.

“Dustin Poirier has shown that in his last fight, he’s shown that many times already. He has heavy hands and hits hard, so he definitely can knock him out, but I think Islam remains as champion.”

Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC), who defeated Oliveira by split decision at UFC 300 in April, was the original No. 1 contender before he declined the short-notice opportunity. Oliveira doesn’t think he has the skill set to beat Makhachev in a rematch.

“Arman is a guy that takes you down and holds you there the entire time,” Oliveira said. “No way. It’s not a fight he can win. Of course, I’ve just said this and I can’t backtrack, we’re talking about MMA, and it’s very unpredictable.

“A guy closes his eyes and throws a hand that lands, you’re knocked out. He throws a kick that lands, you shoot for a takedown and end up in a submission. MMA is unpredictable, but I think Islam is way more experienced, has more focus, more hunger, and is much stronger than Arman.”

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

Jon Anik: Dustin Poirier can’t be counted out at UFC 302, but Islam Makhachev ‘really is that good’

Jon Anik sees Dustin Poirier as a live underdog but understands why oddsmakers sway heavily in favor of Islam Makhachev at UFC 302.

[autotag]Jon Anik[/autotag] sees [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] as a live underdog, but he understands why oddsmakers sway heavily in favor of UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag].

According to BetMGM, Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) is a -600 favorite in his upcoming title defense against Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 302 (pay-per-view/ESPN2/ESPN+) main event at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. Poirier is a +425 underdog.

“I’m glad I’m not an oddsmaker because I would find it exceedingly hard to price Islam Makhachev right now because he really is that good,” Anik said in an interview with Odds Shark. “I can understand why a lot of the fanbase and a lot of the fighters like Dustin Poirier in this spot. I like the quick turnaround having faced Benoit Saint Denis in a really big pressure spot.

“Not a title fight of course, but at UFC 299 in Miami, he was a betting underdog in that setting. I like that this fight is happening in New Jersey, it’s in his time zone, it’s close to home, I like the competition cycle. He was largely unscratched even though it wasn’t a perfect performance against Benoit Saint Denis, and he does have a lot more experience accrued over the last several years.”

Anik also admires the way Poirier has bounced back from prior losses. “The Diamond” has never lost two straight in his career.

“When you look back at the fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov and we could spend 10 minutes on how that experience might play into this fight against Islam Makhachev, but then so responsive thereafter against Dan Hooker, then two wins against Conor McGregor,” Anik said. “I think that Poirier is going to perform well. I think the problem might just be the guy that is in the red corner.”

Anik sees one major advantage that stands out for Poirier, but points to his previous two title losses, which came by submission as concerning points. He thinks Poirier has to capitalize on the feet early.

“I think natural power and I say that with all due respect to Islam Makhachev,” Anik said of Poirier’s advantage. “Makhachev is a five-tool striker, certainly his head kick of Alexander Volkanovski speaks to just how many different ways he could get you out of there. He’s certainly not just a grappler. But Dustin Poirier out of that southpaw stance has a lot of power, certainly in that right hand but also in the left hand, as well. And I just think it’s about risk mitigation for him. When are you going to go for it, pick your spots, try to avoid the ground.

“Those grappling situations against Khabib Nurmagomedov were not ideal, and I think when a lot of people handicap this fight, they worry about Dustin Poirier getting put in those similar situations and time ripping off of the clock. It’s advantage striker when it comes to MMA and Joe Rogan talked about this recently, they allow you to stand up at the beginning of every round, so I do think that it stands to reason that if Dustin Poirier can gain respect with that power early on and present some sort of adversity.”

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

Islam Makhachev: Dustin Poirier ‘will undoubtedly be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame’

Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev heaped high praise on Dustin Poirier ahead of their UFC 303 title fight.

UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] is giving [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] high praise ahead of their title fight.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) defends his title against Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 302 (pay-per-view/ESPN2/ESPN+) headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Poirier, a former interim lightweight champion, will attempt to capture undisputed gold for the third time. His knockout finish of Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 in March tied Drew Dober for the most in lightweight history.

“First of all, I want to say that Dustin is one of the legends of our sport,” Makhachev said in Episode 2 of his training camp VLOG. “He is someone who will undoubtedly be inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame. He has been through many tough fights, many title fights, fought for the BMF title, and fought for the UFC title several times. Whether he loses or wins, he will always be a challenge for everyone.”

One of Poirier’s title losses came to Makhachev’s mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, by submission in September 2019. They have now switched roles, with Nurmagomedov being the one to lend a helping hand in training camp.

“I think this fight will be beneficial for us to review and build a plan together,” Makhachev said. “When Khabib was preparing for him, we trained together, and I was already involved in the discussion of the fight preparation plan against Dustin. I don’t think the preparation and plan for the fight will differ much because we know Dustin’s strengths and weaknesses.”

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

UFC 302 ‘Embedded,’ No. 1: Sean Strickland gives his puppy swimming lessons

Still at home in Las Vegas, Sean Strickland teaches his puppy how to swim in the first installment of UFC 302 “Embedded.”

The UFC is back on the East Coast with UFC 302, and the popular “Embedded” fight week video series is here to document what’s happening behind the scenes.

UFC 302 (pay-per-view/ESPN/ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

In the headliner, lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) puts his belt on the line against former interim champ [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC). In the co-feature, [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag] (14-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) meets former middleweight champ [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-6 UFC).

The first episode of “Embedded” follows the featured fighters while they get ready for fight week. You can watch in the video above.

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

Video: Will Dustin Poirier beat Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 to finally win undisputed title?

Will Dustin Poirier get past Islam Makhachev at UFC 302 to finally win a UFC title? We discuss on “Spinning Back Clique.”

On the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique,” the panel previews the upcoming UFC 302 event.

At the top of the bill, [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] will be challenging UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] in what many believe to be Poirier’s final chance to capture an undisputed UFC title. The co-main event features a key middleweight bout pitting [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag].

Will Poirier finally become UFC champion? Can the winner between Sean Strickland and Paulo Costa get themselves a title shot?

MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun, Brian “Goze” Garcia, Danny Segura and host Gorgeous George preview the main and co-main events for UFC 302 on June 1.

Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.

https://youtube.com/live/8yKez0zdal4

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Video: UFC 302 ‘Countdown’ for Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier

Check out the UFC 302 “Countdown” main event video preview for Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier.

Did you miss the debut of UFC 302 “Countdown” or just want to watch it again? Check out the main event preview now.

The segment takes a special look at the lightweight title fight between champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) and former interim champ and challenger [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC).

UFC 302 (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. “Countdown” goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don’t miss the entire episode in the video below.

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

Javier Mendez: Islam Makhachev ‘can do whatever he wants’ against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302

Javier Mendez is confident Islam Makhachev doesn’t have to wrestle Dustin Poirier and can beat him in the striking at UFC 302.

Many are seeing the upcoming lightweight title fight between [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] as a repeat of Poirier’s 2019 failed attempt to win the belt against Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, [autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag], head coach of Makhachev and Nurmagomedov, thinks that analysis is totally wrong.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) looks to make his third title defense against Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) on June 1 in the main event of UFC 302. Although Makhachev’s team is familiar with Poirier, Mendez sees this as a different matchup.

“No, this is going to be a lot different because Islam is not Khabib,” Mendez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “They’re two different fighters, and they don’t work the same. The only thing they do the same is the discipline. They both work hard, but their style is different.

“Khabib was more ground-oriented, but that’s what we wanted. We’d always tell him, ‘Take the fight to the ground, take the fight to the ground. Father’s plan, father’s plan.’ … With Islam, he’s training all the styles; Muay Thai and boxing with other instructors in Dagestan. Khabib never did, he only trained with me. That’s why Islam evolved so much in the striking. Islam can fight however he wants, Khabib we would tell him to wrestle because no one in the world could deal with it, and we knew it.

“Islam has it all. How he wants to win, when he wants to win, where he wants to win, it’s up to him. We can take the fight anywhere we want. That’s the difference between Islam and Khabib. Khabib’s No. 1 thing was wrestling, but Islam can do whatever he wants.”

Many have suggested that Makhachev’s path to victory is to wrestle against Poirier like Nurmagomedov did in his 2019 title defense. Poirier is a dangerous striker, but Mendez is confident that Makhachev can not only hang with Poirier on the feet but also beat him at his own game.

“Look what happened against Volkanovslki, he beat him in the striking,” Mendez said. “If people think that Islam can only win by taking the fight to the ground, they are wrong. That’s not how it has to happen. Islam can do whatever he wants. Now, I’m not going to tell you what we have planned for the fight, but I can tell you Islam can do whatever he wants. Striking or ground game, we can do it all.”

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