Tag: Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev predicts guillotine choke will lead to Dustin Poirier’s downfall at UFC 302

Islam Makhachev warns Dustin Poirier not to jump the guillotine when they fight.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] warns [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] not to jump the guillotine when they fight.

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

Going against his corner’s advice, Poirier attempted multiple guillotine chokes to fend off Benoit Saint Denis’ grappling in their UFC 299 co-main event in March. But after failing to secure it, he resorted to his boxing, which he used to spark the Frenchman in Round 2.

Poirier laughed when he said he has no plans of abandoning his desire to secure his first win by guillotine choke against Makhachev. However, the champion says Poirier’s attempt will lead to the fight-ending sequence.

“We will start and I will try to take him down,” Makhachev told Yahoo Sports. “He will try to get me in a guillotine (choke). I will defend the guillotine. I will give him a couple punches. He will give his back, then I will finish.”

Poirier cinched in what looked like a deep guillotine choke on Makhachev’s mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov in their title fight at UFC 242, but Nurmagomedov popped out of it. Poirier was eventually submitted in Round 3.

“One day maybe, I hope (Poirier) will finish his guillotine on someone,” Makhachev said. “But it’s not going to be me.”

In the meantime, “The Diamond” is having some fun with it, to the point of creating his own merchandise.

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Benoit Saint Denis: Islam Makhachev favored at UFC 302, but ‘nobody can give Dustin Poirier no chance’

Benoit Saint Denis says you can’t completely rule out Dustin Poirier’s chances of beating Islam Makhachev at UFC 302.

[autotag]Benoit Saint Denis[/autotag] says you can’t completely rule out [autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag]’s chances of beating [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag].

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

Poirier closed as an underdog when he knocked out Saint Denis (13-2 MMA, 5-2 UFC) to earn a shot at Makhachev. The odds are stacked against him once again when he takes on the UFC’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, but Saint Denis thinks “The Diamond” has the skills to pull off an upset.

“He’s precise, he’s well rounded, he’s composed,” Saint Denis told MMA Junkie of Poirier. “He’s able to weather the storm, a lot of experience, tough guy. Nobody can give Poirier no chance at all at winning any fight in the lightweight division. Of course, Makhachev is well rounded. He will be well prepared. I do know what type of game plan Makhachev is going to have against Poirier.

“It’s very obvious. He will try to follow (Nurmagomedov’s) steps or Charles Oliveira’s steps because it seems to be the easiest path to victory against Poirier, but Poirier will work on that, as well. He’s also well rounded, and it will be a great fight. He can get it done, but of course the favorite is the champion.”

Poirier wasn’t the initial choice for Makhachev’s next title defense, but after Arman Tsarukyan declined a short-notice opportunity, Poirier received the call.

Saint Denis isn’t surprised to see Poirier be the one.

“Not at all,” Saint Denis said. “It’s all a question of calendars. If you look at who is booked and who is not and who has faced who, the age, the placement of these guys, the grind, it’s not something undeserved. A lot of guys deserve the title shot, but this time it was him. He did great, so well deserved.”

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Dustin Poirier explains how Islam Makhachev ‘more of a threat’ than Khabib Nurmagomedov

Heading into UFC 303, Dustin Poirier sees Islam Makhachev as a more refined version of Khabib Nurmagomedov in certain areas.

[autotag]Dustin Poirier[/autotag] sees UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] as more refined than [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] in certain areas.

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

Poirier fell short in his pursuit of an undisputed belt when he was submitted by Nurmagomedov at UFC 242 in September 2019. Now he takes on Nurmagomedov’s protege, Makhachev, whom he thinks is even more dangerous.

“His submission game jiu-jitsu wise is a little bit more versatile than Khabib’s was,” Poirier said on “The MMA Hour.” “Khabib had some chokes that he did really well, but Islam’s put himself in bad positions going for armbars, maybe he loses a position, but he trusts his wrestling to get it back. He’s a little bit more of a threat jiu-jitsu wise in scrambles, and his striking is better than Khabib’s.”

Makhachev said he has the key for an easy fight against Poirier. “The Diamond” thinks Makhachev is undermining him.

“I kind of feel like some of the stuff he says, he might not be (respecting me),” Poirier said. “But I’m going to put my hands on this guy. I’m coming in there to hurt him. This is my last shot – mom’s spaghetti, let’s go. … I haven’t been keeping up a whole lot, but when I was at the gym, Mike Brown told me, ‘Man, I think this guy may be underestimating your jiu-jitsu and underestimating how dangerous you are.’

“I think what he was referring to was an interview of Islam saying, ‘This is an easy fight for me.’ I was tagged in a bunch of stuff on Instagram and Twitter of him saying that. I don’t know, maybe he goes about all fights like that, but I can finish and beat anybody at 155 pounds in the world. I really believe that, and he doesn’t have to believe it. I’m the one who has to believe it, and I’m the one who has to go out there and beat his ass. I can do that.”

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Islam Makhachev says he has the key for an ‘easy fight’ vs. Dustin Poirier: ‘It’s worst style for this guy’

If things go according to plan, UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev expects to have his way vs. Dustin Poirier.

If things go according to plan, UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] expects to have his way 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’s mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov outgrappled Poirier en route to a third round submission at UFC 242, and Makhachev sees a simple blueprint to follow.

“Dustin, he is a warrior, legend – he has more than everybody experience in this sport,” Makhachev told TMZ. “But his problem is his style. That’s the one problem this guy has. His weak point is wrestling and grappling, and I have the key for the easy fight.

“And if I follow the plan, I can beat him easy. My style and Khabib’s style, it’s worst style for Dustin. People who can can take him down, hold him there, it always gives him problems.”

Poirier wasn’t in Makhachev’s original plans. But after Gaethje was knocked out by Max Holloway at UFC 300, and Arman Tsarukyan turned down a short-notice opportunity after beating Charles Oliveira, Poirier was the only logical option.

“Dustin is a good opponent because Oliveira, Arman, I beat these guys already,” Makhachev said. “My dream fight for this division is Gaethje, but he lose already. Right now in our weight, we just have Dustin because Arman said no, Oliveira lose, Gaethje lose. We don’t have someone.”

Poirier knocked out Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 to position himself into title contention. He attempted multiple guillotine chokes when Saint Denis wrestled, but wasn’t able to submit him. Poirier has a tendency to jump the guillotine – a submission he almost caught Nurmagomedov with. He joked that he would try against Makhachev, too.

Makhachev played along with the humor.

“Dustin, be ready and wrestle a lot,” Makhachev said. “I defend my neck, I’m ready for your guillotine. It’s not happening in our fight, but I will be ready.”

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Michael Bisping warns Islam Makhachev of ‘sniper’ Leon Edwards: ‘Be careful what you wish for’

Michael Bisping advises UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev to focus on his division.

[autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] advises UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] to focus on his division.

Makhachev expressed his desire to move up to welterweight to challenge [autotag]Leon Edwards[/autotag] on multiple occasions, and almost got the opportunity when he was one of three names offered to Edwards at UFC 300.

Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) declined because he didn’t want to train while observing Ramadan, but still has his sights set on Edwards (22-3 MMA, 14-2 UFC).

“He wants a shot to become the two-weight division champion just like he offered Volkanovski,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “But be careful what you wish for because Leon Edwards, right – Leon ‘Rocky’ Edwards is an absolute sniper in there. And look at what he just did to Colby Covington.

“Now apparently Colby Covington says that he broke his foot in the first round. And he also said that the judges, well, they were Democrats, and because of his love for Donald Trump, that’s why they didn’t give him the decision. The reality was it wasn’t a close fight.”

Makhachev 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. Bisping thinks if Makhachev gets past Poirier, he has multiple challengers awaiting him at 155 pounds.

“Leon Edwards is not a wrestler, but he’s a black belt in defending takedowns and stopping takedowns against the fence,” Bisping said. “That first round against Kamaru Usman, in that second one when he knocked him out: ‘Head shot, dead.’

“Remember: nice little foot trip, got the mount, took the back, got the body triangle, was looking for the rear-naked choke. … (Makhachev) wants a chance to be great, OK? And Islam, he’s probably just getting headlines because he knows damn well there’s a lot of opposition out there.”

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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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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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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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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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