Tag: Islam Makhachev

UFC 302 video: Coach Sayif Saud’s in-depth breakdown of Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier

Coach Sayif Saud delivers another breakdown masterpiece ahead of the Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier lightweight title fight at UFC 302.

Will [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] continue his reign of terror? Does [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] have one more spectacular win in him on the biggest stage? These will be the deciding questions in the UFC 302 main event.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) will attempt to record a record-tying third consecutive lightweight title defense when he puts it up for grabs against Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC), who will have his third try at undisputed gold, in the headlining act of the June 1 card at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

Given Makhachev is currently No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie pound-for-pound rankings and riding a 13-fight winning streak inside the octagon, it’s going to take a major effort from No. 4-ranked lightweight Poirier to capture the belt in what he deems as his final chance.

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Will the fight be one-way traffic given Makhachev’s overwhelming skillset? Or does Poirier have paths to pull off the biggest triumph of his storied career?

Fortis MMA head coach [autotag]Sayif Saud[/autotag] looked at the 155-pound title matchup from both sides in the latest edition of “UFC Breakdown,” with co-host and UFC play-by-plan man Brendan Fitzgerald.

Check out the video above for plenty of detailed analysis from Sayif ahead of Makhachev vs. Poirier at UFC 302.

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

Khabib Nurmagomedov: Islam Makhachev has ‘clearly developed plan’ to finish Dustin Poirier by Round 3 at UFC 302

Khabib Nurmagomedov expects Islam Makhachev to defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in convincing fashion at UFC 302.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] expects [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] to defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in convincing fashion at UFC 302.

Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC), a retired former 155-pound titleholder and a primary coach for Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC), has been diligently preparing his athlete to face a previous opponent of his own in Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) on Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+).

Poirier comes into the fight as a sizeable underdog against Makhachev, who is No. 2 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie pound-for-pound rankings. His chances are being dismissed by many, but given his past experience with “The Diamond,” Nurmagomedov is not among that group.

“Many people underestimate Dustin Poirier,” Nurmagomedov said on his YouTube channel. “I personally fought him, spent three rounds and over 10 minutes with him, and I have a good sense of his strengths and weaknesses. We are working hard on these aspects.

“Dustin Poirier is very experienced. He’s been in many battles already. Yes, he has lost, but he also has many victories in the UFC, more than 22 or 23 wins. Using our slang, he is a seasoned warrior. You can’t take him lightly.”

Nurmagomedov defeated Poirier by third-round submission when they fought at UFC 242 in September 2019. That was Poirier’s first chance at an undisputed UFC title, and he lost the same way in his second bid at a belt against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269 in December 2021.

Poirier, 35, has openly admitted to being aware this is almost certainly his final chance at an undisputed championship. That likely means he’s going to put it all on the line inside the cage, so Makhachev, 32, must be ultra-cautious. His team understands this, and Nurmagomedov said that so long as Makhachev follows the prepared strategy from training camp, he will leave with a third consecutive defense of his belt.

“We have great respect for Dustin, but on June 1, he is our opponent,” Nurmagomedov said. “We have a clearly developed plan for the fight, and I believe Islam will follow it. I really hope that Islam will finish him off in the second or third round.”

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

Arman Tsarukyan: Islam Makhachev must take Dustin Poirier down right away or ‘it’s going to be dangerous’

Arman Tsarukyan is warning Islam Makhachev that he needs to realize success with his wrestling early against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302.

[autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag] is warning UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] that he needs to realize success with his wrestling early vs. [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag].

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) defends his title against Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the UFC 302 main event June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Makhachev has proven that he’s not just a grappler – most recently when he knocked out former featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski with a head kick at UFC 294. However, Tsarukyan thinks it would be a mistake if Makhachev engaged in the striking with his American Top Team teammate.

“I see Islam is going to try and push him to the cage, to take him down and try to hold him, submit him,” Tsarukyan told the New York Post. “But if he can’t do that, it’s going to be dangerous. If he wants to box him, I think Dustin Poirier on a different level.

“His punch, his speed, he can knock him out very fast. That’s why Islam’s got to try to take him down right away. For me, the favorite is Islam on this fight, but like I can put money on Dustin Poirier KO, because it could happen.”

Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) defeated former champ Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 in April but passed up on the short-notice opportunity to challenge Makhachev less than two months later. Poirier was awarded the title shot instead, but Tsarukyan expects the UFC to do right by him and give him the winner.

“I’m going to wait for my title fight,” Tsarukyan said. “I know UFC is going to give me that chance because they’re not bullsh*t. They’re going to do real fight.”

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

Conor McGregor predicts Dustin Poirier knocks out Islam Makhachev at UFC 302

Conor McGregor sees Dustin Poirier catching Islam Makhachev and finishing him to claim lightweight gold at UFC 302.

[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] sees [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] catching lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and finishing him at UFC 302.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) will look to notch his third consecutive title defense when he meets Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the June 1 headliner at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+).

McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Poirier have fought three times before, with McGregor winning the first meeting by TKO in September 2014, Poirier avenging the loss with a knockout of his own in the rematch in January 2021, and their trilogy bout ending in doctor’s stoppage TKO after McGregor broke his leg at the end of Round 1 in July 2021.

Makhachev’s lone career loss came by knockout at the hands of Adriano Martins in just his second octagon appearance at UFC 192 in October 2015, and McGregor envisions a similar fate against “The Diamond.”

“I think Dustin does him, knocks him out,” McGregor said on a live stream with Duelbits (h/t Championship Rounds on X). “I think the things that Makhachev does wrong, the things he’s not good at, he fumbles over his feet usually early on and falls into shots. He’s been knocked out by a back check hook from a southpaw before inside the UFC, and that’s one of Dustin’s best shots. If Dustin’s ever going to do it, it’ll be this time.

“Obviously Dustin does his things bad also that feed into Makhachev’s strengths. So, it’s going to be a good fight to see which one shows up, but it’s all to play for. There is no clear favorite in it. If you look at Dustin’s last fight, he was getting manhandled by Benoit Saint Denis and he stayed with it, and then got back to his feet, stayed with it and landed a shot. That’s great experience to be going into this bout. If there’s ever a chance for him to get it done, this will be it.”

Up 2-1 in his series with McGregor, Poirier ruled out a fourth fight with “The Notorious.” Makhachev, on the other hand, thinks he’d be silly not to take a fight with McGregor.

McGregor, who returns in a welterweight bout against Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) on June 29 at UFC 303 in Las Vegas (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+), says he has no horse in the race since both fights interest him.

“Who do I wish for, who would I like to see (win)? You know, either or,” McGregor said. “I have history with both, and let’s see how it goes.”

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

Dustin Poirier predicts Islam Makhachev fight at UFC 302: ‘I’m going to knock him unconscious’

Dustin Poirier gave a cold prediction for his fight against Islam Makhachev.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] gave a cold prediction for his fight against [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag].

Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) challenges lightweight champion Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in the UFC 302 main event June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

Former interim champ Poirier will look to claim undisputed gold for the first time in his career after falling short twice. He envisions a violent finish of Makhachev, whose lone career loss came by knockout.

“I’m going to knock him unconscious and the ref is going to be pulling me off of him,” Poirier told Yahoo Sports.

Makhachev predicted that Poirier jumping the guillotine choke – which he’s failed to secure on numerous occasions, will be his downfall. Poirier joked that he has to try at least once, but explained that it’s a submission he’s had plenty of success with during practice.

“Crushing it dude, yes,” Poirier said. “That’s why I’m so surprised and blown away that I have 50 fights and I’ve never finished one with a guillotine – crazy.”

Poirier’s head coach, Mike Brown, heavily advised Poirier against jumping for the guillotine choke in his most recent fight against Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299, but Poirier tried multiple times anyway. Although he failed, he was able to knock out Saint Denis in Round 2.

“‘Don’t give up position’: That’s the record on repeat,” Poirier said of Brown’s advice. “Don’t go for it even if you think it’s good, tight or you have a good feel for it. Don’t give up position, especially with a guy like Islam you know.

“You give up position, you might be trying to get back to your feet for the rest of the round and losing a round or putting yourself in deeper water and getting into a worse, a dangerous position. So we’ll see. I just have to play it and see how I feel in there in those positions. But I’ll probably jump it.”

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

UFC free fight: Islam Makhachev submits Charles Oliveira to crown himself UFC lightweight champion

Watch Islam Makhachev’s submission win over Charles Oliveira to become UFC lightweight champion back in 2022.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] sure made a statement in his first UFC championship fight.

Makhachev not only defeated a streaking and dangerous Charles Oliveira to win the UFC lightweight title, but submitted the jiu-jitsu standout. Makhachev dominated Oliveira and then submitted him in the second round of their main event bout at UFC 280 back in October 2022.

You can watch Makhachev’s impressive win in the video above.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) returns to the octagon to defend his lightweight title against veteran Dustin Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) in the main event of UFC 302. The card goes down on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.

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

Islam Makhachev’s coach: Arman Tsarukyan passing up title shot ‘right call from him’

Javier Mendez agrees with Arman Tsarukyan’s decision to not fight Islam Makhachev on short notice.

[autotag]Javier Mendez[/autotag] agrees with [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]’s decision to not fight [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] on short notice.

Tsarukyan defeated former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 300. He was offered a title shot against lightweight champion Makhachev on less than two-months notice at UFC 302 on June 1, but turned down the opportunity due to the lack of time to prepare.

Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) lost a back-and-forth battle to Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) in his UFC debut. Makhachev’s coach Mendez thinks Tsarukyan was right to decline a quick turnaround.

“From people that I know with him, they said that, yeah, he’s just said he wouldn’t be ready for that type of fight just yet,” Mendez told Submission Radio. “You know, he might have more time to prepare. And you know what? That’s the right call from him. It’s like, he’s in the driver’s seat, also, so why would he risk his chance?

“Why not go properly prepared for the opportunity that he presented himself by having a victory over Oliveira? So no, I think it’s true, and I think he did the right thing by what he needs to do for what he wants. Had it been anybody else, I don’t know what they would have done. I think someone like Max Holloway, if he was put in that situation, he probably would have been one of the few guys that would have said, ‘I’m in.'”

Instead, Makhachev will defend his title against Dustin Poirier at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. If Makhachev gets passed “The Diamond,” Mendez expects Tsarukyan to be next, but wouldn’t be surprised if he wasn’t.

“I think Arman is going to be more than likely the guy, I’m thinking,” Mendez said. “Who knows. But if everything goes according to what they would probably want, we’re OK with Arman. We’re OK with Max. Whatever the UFC offers, Islam’s going to take it. I’m sure it’s not his preferable choice.

“If he asks Islam what he wants after this one, he’d want to go for the welterweight title because he wants to repeat what other people rarely do: become a two-(division) champion. So that’s what he would want – I’m pretty sure about that. But it’s a matter of whether the UFC wants to give him that opportunity right now. I think at some point, they will.”

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

Spinning Back Clique REPLAY: Edwards vs. Muhammad, Aspinall to defend interim belt, UFC & Bellator results, more

On “Spinning Back Clique,” our panel discusses the announced matchups for UFC 304, Lerone Murphy’s big win over Edson Barboza, UFC 302, 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, Farah Hannoun and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at noon ET (9 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:

  • UFC 304 is stacking up. The promotion announced several key matchups for its July 27 return to Manchester, England. The announcement included two title fights in [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] for the undisputed welterweight title and [autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Curtis Blaydes[/autotag] for the interim heavyweight belt. Additionally, [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag]’s return was revealed to be against veteran [autotag]Bobby Green[/autotag]. Tons to digest.
  • UFC Fight Night 241 is in the books. In the main event of the card, [autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag] had a breakout performance, defeating veteran [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag] in dominant fashion. Murphy, who’s undefeated in his MMA career, called for a top-10 opponent after the win. Who should Murphy fight next? Where does Barboza go from here? We break it all down.
  • PFL held yet another of their new Bellator Championship Series events, this time in Paris. In the main event of Bellator Champions Series: Paris, [autotag]Patchy Mix[/autotag] defended his bantamweight title in a close split decision win over [autotag]Magomed Magomedov[/autotag]. The co-main event saw French star [autotag]Cedric Doumbe[/autotag] make quick work of Jaleel Willis. Two big results for Bellator. So what’s next for both these fighters? We discuss.
  • “Spinning Back Clique” will be off on Memorial Day, but don’t worry, we got you covered with a UFC 302 preview. This week, we’ll take a look at the UFC’s next pay-per-view event, which features a UFC lightweight title bout between [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] and [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]. We analyze what’s likely going to be Poirier’s final tine shot, along with the co-main event middleweight bout between [autotag]Sean Strickland[/autotag] and [autotag]Paulo Costa[/autotag].

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Islam Makhachev: Khabib Nurmagomedov happy, but misses fighting

Islam Makhachev says Khabib Nurmagomedov is still very entrenched in the fight game.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] says [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] is still very entrenched in the fight game.

Nurmagomedov retired as an undefeated UFC lightweight champion and has since passed the torch onto Makhachev, who has lived up to the potential by becoming 155-pound champ himself.

Nurmagomedov insists he will never fight again, but Makhachev admits that Nurmagomedov still loves the game.

“I think he’s happy, but this guy misses fighting, fight camp,” Makhachev said on Shadow Lion’s “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo. “That’s why he joins us everywhere. He loves to train – every day, he trains.

“Not just when he’s with us, everyday this guy’s training. He has a house in the village, a house in the city. Both houses have a sauna, very good gym, swimming pool. This guy is training everyday.”

Makhachev says Nurmagomedov currently weighs over 200 pounds, making him even harder to deal with as a training partner.

“It’s not a secret, Khabib has like the worst style for everybody,” Makhachev said. “If he takes you down, he takes all your energy, all your power because he’s very heavy on top.

“I don’t have the same skills because always when I’m on top, I’m looking for choke, to do something, but this guy has crazy control, he holds you. Now, he has crazy power because he’s big and he holds you and you say, ‘Hey, get out.'”

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) defends his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 302 main event June 1. Makhachev’s mentor Nurmagomedov submitted Poirier in Round 3 of their title fight at UFC 242.

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

Islam Makhachev certainly open to fight Conor McGregor after UFC 302: ‘People have to be stupid to say no’

UFC champ Islam Makhachev is willing to abide by the old adage that if it makes dollars it makes sense when considering a fight with Conor McGregor.

If the stars align accordingly, [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] has no problem fighting [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]. In fact, the UFC lightweight champion believes he’d be a fool not to.

In order for that to happen, though, each man has first orders of business to take care of, starting with Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC), who defends his 155-pound title against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 302 main event June 1. Four weeks later, McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) makes his highly anticipated return to the octagon against former Bellator champion Michael Chandler in the UFC 303 headliner June 29.

Even though, as of this moment, McGregor hasn’t won a fight in more than four years, hasn’t won a lightweight bout since his title victory almost eight years ago and is nowhere to be found in the official UFC rankings, Makhachev is willing to abide by the old adage that if it makes dollars it makes sense.

Fighting the UFC’s biggest star for a likely gigantic payday? That’s a no-brainer for the champ.

“People have to be stupid to say no,” Makhachev said on Shadow Lion’s “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo. “Of course I will fight with him.”

Makhachev indicated that his next fight after UFC 303 would likely take place in October (in Abu Dhabi) or November, but for a McGregor showdown, he’d be willing to be available in August or September.

While not so easy to sell based on merit, a fight between Makhachev and McGregor would be easy to sell from a storyline standpoint given McGregor’s history with Makhachev trainer and UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. Years of bad blood culminated with Nurmagomedov submitting McGregor in October 2019 at UFC 229 – the highest-selling pay-per-view in the promotion’s history – and then jumping the cage to attack McGregor’s corner after his victory.

From Makhachev’s standpoint, he also believes he’d have no trouble with McGregor in the cage.

“Brother, easy. This guy not same,” Makhachev said. “I don’t want to, like, make him look bad, but everybody know this guy not same. Before, yeah, for sure. When he was fighting with Khabib, he was in a good shape. He (was) a high-level fighter. But right now, too much alcohol, too much whiskey.”

For Makhachev, that’s easy money.

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