Tag: Khabib Nurmagomedov

Khabib Nurmagomedov: Islam Makhachev more skilled, should ‘roll over’ Charles Oliveira at UFC 280

Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why he expects Islam Makhachev to dominate Charles Oliveira at UFC 280.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] expects [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] to dominate [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag].

Makhachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) meets Oliveira (33-8 MMA, 21-8 UFC) for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 280 on Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi.

In Makhachev’s corner will be his mentor, Nurmagomedov, who declared him as a future champion immediately after he retired undefeated and vacated his lightweight title in October 2020. Oliveira has finished Michael Chandler, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje in three previous title fights, but Nurmagomedov thinks Makhachev is in his prime and the better fighter overall.

“I think Islam is more skilled than Oliveira,” Nurmagomedov said in an interview with UFC Russia. “Secondly, his experience as an amateur fighter. Also, he’s at his peak. Islam is at his peak. Islam isn’t 23, 26 or 27. He’s 30. A week after the fight, he’ll be 31. It’s the best time for any athlete. It’s a time when your mental and physical state should be in synergy. Sometimes your mental state is high, but your physical state is going down.

“Or when you’re 27 and at your physical peak, but mentally you’re not there yet, because you’re just 27, not 31. And Islam is at his peak. I think Islam is better overall. Of course, there are some potential dangers that we’re working on where Islam needs to be careful. Other than that, Islam should roll over him.”

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Despite Oliveira’s dominance and championship experience over Makhachev, the betting odds aren’t in his favor. According to Tipico Sportsbook, Oliveira is a +140 underdog, whereas Makhachev is a -180 betting favorite.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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Javier Mendez: Islam Makhachev works year-round on striking, but Khabib Nurmagomedov only did part time

Ahead of UFC 280, Javier Mendez explains why he thinks Islam Makhachev is a better striker than Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Javier Mendez thinks [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] may be a better striker than [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag].

Mendez has helped hone the skills of both former UFC lightweight champion Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) and current title challenger Makhachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC).

But when it came to striking, the head coach of American Kickboxing Academy says Makhachev diversified his training more than Nurmagomedov did.

“The difference between Islam and Khabib is when Khabib was in Dagestan training at Abdulmanap’s gym – his father’s gym – Khabib would only train with me really,” Mendez told MMA Junkie Radio. “He wouldn’t really train standup with anybody. He’d train with me. So his time involved in striking was very limited, whereas Islam was smart enough to train with other people and he has great coaches at home that are working with him. So with him, his striking is further ahead than Khabib’s ever was only because of the fact that Islam was working year-round on his striking.

“Khabib was only part time working, and that’s what people don’t understand. That’s what’s so amazing about Khabib. He was only doing it part time and that’s why his improvement from fight to fight you go, ‘Wow, he keeps improving,’ because for him, there was a huge gap in striking and what he could learn and what he was able to do, where Islam, he’s been steadily growing all the time and he’s by far one of the best all-around fighters that I’ve ever trained.”

Nurmagomedov currently is retired and helping Mendez guide Makhachev and other fighters try to reach gold. As fellow coaches, Mendez said he and Nurmagomedov share the same ideals. But when Mendez was coaching “The Eagle,” it was a slightly different story.

“As a coach coaching him, there were times where we had different ideas,” Mendez said. “He wanted to show people that he could stand, etcetera, etcetera, and I didn’t like that. I wanted him to do where he was most superior. As a coach, it’s much easier for me than it was when he was a fighter because as a fighter, he didn’t listen to me all the time. He listened to me most of the time, but not all the time. As a coach, (Makhachev) and I, we’ve been on point 100 percent of the time.”

Mendez and Nurmagomedov currently are in Dubai helping Makhachev prepare for his vacant lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira, which headlines UFC 280 on Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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Belal Muhammad says Khabib Nurmagomedov will corner him at UFC 280

Belal Muhammad will have an all-star addition to his corner at UFC 280.

[autotag]Belal Muhammad[/autotag] will have an all-star addition to his corner at UFC 280.

For his upcoming matchup against Sean Brady on Oct. 22 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, Muhammad (21-3 MMA, 12-3 UFC) will have Louis Taylor, Mike Valle and UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] in his corner.

“We’re going to have the GOAT, Khabib, also as a third corner with us in this one, so honestly it’s going to be amazing,” Muhammad said on his “Remember The Show” podcast. “It’s going to be cool. The perfect 1-2-3 punch, and I don’t think I could have a better group right there.”

Muhammad has been preparing for his fight against Brady with Nurmagomedov and his team in Dubai, who are also helping prep Islam Makhachev for his vacant lightweight title fight against Charles Oliveira in the night’s headliner.

The linkup with Nurmagomedov and his team happened through their mutual manager, Ali Abdelaziz of Dominance MMA, but Muhammad got a taste of that training prior to snapping Vicente Luque’s winning streak in his past outing at UFC on ESPN 34 in April.

“The last camp I had for Luque, I trained with Khabib and his crew in Vegas when they were down there,” Muhammad said. “So I was with them for a week and I just loved it down there. So for this one, me and Khabib, we both have Ali as a manager and Ali said, ‘Oh, I think their crew will be good for you.’ I was like, ‘I mean, if they’re willing to,’ and Khabib messaged me, hit me up and said, ‘Yeah, for sure come down. I’ll have everything set for you – the room, everything, cars, you don’t need nothing.'”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 280.

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Video: How would George St-Pierre have fared against Anderson Silva, Khabib Nurmagomedov?

Georges St-Pierre said he always wanted to face Anderson Silva and Khabib Nurmagomedov. How would those fights have unfolded?

[autotag]Georges St-Pierre[/autotag] is considered by many to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time, but there are a pair of intriguing matchups against others in that GOAT conversation that we never got the chance to see.

St-Pierre, who ruled the welterweight division during his historic title reign, is often compared to the two men who ruled the divisions on either side of the scale; [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] at lightweight and [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] at middleweight.

Recently, St-Pierre admitted these are two matchups he always wanted, but never came to fruition.

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If these fantasy matchups ever occurred, how would St-Pierre have fared against both men? Would the striking of Silva be too much? Would Nurmagomedov’s wrestling still be as effective as it was during his lightweight dominance?

MMA Junkie’s “Spinning Back Clique” panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Mike Bohn and Nolan King discussed the topic with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia. You can watch their conversation in the video above, or check out this week’s full episode below.

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Georges St-Pierre names two UFC fighters he wished he faced before retiring

Georges St-Pierre has fought a who’s-who of MMA, but there are two opponents he would have loved to face.

[autotag]Georges St-Pierre[/autotag] has fought a who’s-who of MMA, but there are two opponents he would have loved to face.

St-Pierre (26-2 MMA, 20-2 UFC), a former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion, holds notable wins over B.J. Penn twice, Matt Hughes twice, Carlos Condit and his final MMA fight against Michael Bisping, when he dethroned the Brit to become UFC middleweight champion in November 2017.

The UFC Hall of Famer widely is regarded as one of the greatest fighters in history, but two superfights eluded him: former UFC middleweight king [autotag]Anderson Silva[/autotag] (34-11 MMA, 17-7 UFC) and recently retired ex-UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC).

“I always wanted to be known as the best and be the best, and there are two fights that never materialized that could have been made – but for certain reasons did not materialize,” St-Pierre said in an interview with Helen Yee. “The first one was against Anderson Silva, and the other one was against Khabib, but for certain reasons it did not happen.”

When asked why those fights never happened, St-Pierre said all parties involved couldn’t come to an agreement.

“When you’re a fighter, you need the two fighters and the promoter to make a fight happen,” St-Pierre said. “Even if the two fighters want, but the promoter doesn’t make it happen, it’s not going to happen. Each fighter brings their terms that they want, then they negotiate, and then it’s up to the promoter to make that happen. It did not happen for these two guys.”

With St-Pierre being almost five years retired and Nurmagomedov having no intentions of competing in MMA again, St-Pierre is open to a grappling match with “The Eagle.”

“Maybe one day I will do a grappling match, and if it’s for a good cause and it’s well organized, you never know,” St-Pierre said. “Every time I say something like this, people get excited and rumors start. But the truth is that we’re retired, and I’m good where I am, and I’m sure he’s good where he is. And if these fights did not happen, it’s because my side – we had requests, we had conditions and terms that if they would accept the terms, we would be ready to step in and make the fight. But they didn’t reach those terms.

“Fights are made also because of the fans, because of the two guys, the promoter – but also, timing has a lot to do with it. … Anderson Silva and I, and Khabib and I, it’s always a question of timing. If you make this fight today, it’s not going to be the same because we lost the timing.”

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Khabib Nurmagomedov doesn’t think Charles Oliveira will show up vs. Islam Makhachev – and Beneil Dariush will step in

Khabib Nurmagomedov thinks Islam Makhachev, not Charles Oliveira, will be facing Beneil Dariush for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 280.

[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] has an inkling [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], not [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag], will be facing [autotag]Beneil Dariush[/autotag] for the vacant lightweight title.

Makhachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) is scheduled to face Oliveira (33-8 MMA, 21-8 UFC) in the UFC 280 main event on Oct. 22 at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.

Dariush (21-4-1 MMA, 15-4-1 UFC) fights Mateusz Gamrot (21-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) on the same card in a pivotal lightweight clash. But Nurmagomedov thinks former lightweight champion Oliveira won’t show up and Dariush will step in against his protegee instead.

“I just think Charles Oliveira will not show up in Abu Dhabi and the UFC will replace Charles with Beneil Dariush. Regardless of who the opponent will be, @MAKHACHEVMMA is on his way to becoming the best in the world #ufc280.”

In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Dariush said his manager told him that he’ll be serving as a backup for the vacant lightweight title fight between Oliveira and Makhachev.

“That’s what Ali (Abdelaziz) told me – I was the backup for this,” Dariush said. “Of course (I’ll make 155 pounds). It’s not that hard. I make 156. Last time in Texas (at UFC 262), I was pretty much 155 when I fought.”

Regardless of whom he fights, Makhachev is oozing confidence. He predicts a third-round finish of Oliveira.

“First round warm up, second round drag him to deep water, third round get business done Inshallah ✅ Can’t wait for Oct 22 👊🏼@ufc.”

Another fighter who plans on serving as a backup for the vacant lightweight title fight is UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who’s eyeing another belt. When Dana White was asked about Volkanovski’s plans, the UFC president appeared to have no issues with that and responded “sure.”

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Nate Diaz rips ‘scared fighter’ Khabib Nurmagomedov’s UFC Hall of Fame induction

“You are a scared fighter, scared of fighting the whole time. And now you’re in the Hall of Fame or something?”

[autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] doesn’t agree with [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s Hall of Fame placement.

Nurmagomedov (29-0 MMA, 13-0 UFC) was inducted into the UFC’s 2022 Hall of Fame class after retiring as an undefeated and undisputed lightweight champion in October 2020. His last three wins came in submission finishes over Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.

But despite “The Eagle’s” dominance, Diaz (20-13 MMA, 15-11 UFC) isn’t sold on his accolades or fighting style.

“Khabib’s a f*cking little b*tch,” Diaz said Tuesday on “The MMA Hour.” “Khabib just was like, who did he beat for the title he got? Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaethje? They’ve both been finished off, over and over, the same way that he beat them. You ain’t no good. You are a scared fighter, scared of fighting the whole time.

“And now you’re in the (UFC) Hall of Fame or something? I was here before the Hall of Fame even showed up, actually. Now you’re a Hall of Famer? Like, whatever. I don’t even want nothing to do with the Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame’s a joke, too. But I’m ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ right?”

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Diaz and Nurmagomedov seemingly were on a collision course in 2014, but the fight never materialized. The pair also was involved in an altercation in 2015 at a WSOF event and the superstar from Stockton, Calif., has bashed Nurmagomedov since.

With one fight left on his UFC deal, Diaz wants out, and the 37-year-old has been in an ongoing rift with the promotion in the past year. Diaz hasn’t fought since he lost a unanimous decision to upcoming title challenger Leon Edwards at UFC 263 in June 2021.

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Charles Oliveira unloads on Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, issues challenge to both

Khabib’s comments about Islam Makhachev winning the UFC title in Brazil set off Charles Oliveira.

[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] hopes beating [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag]’s protege can lure him out of retirement.

[autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag] has been chomping at the bit to fight ex-UFC lightweight champion Oliveira for the vacant title and while the Brazilian wasn’t on board, he’s now open to the idea after hearing Nurmagomedov say Makhachev would take the fight in Brazil and submit him in front of his own fans.

Oliveira (33-8 MMA, 21-8 UFC), who was stripped of his title after missing weight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 274, has been eyeing a money fight with former dual UFC champion Conor McGregor but is willing to put that wish aside if Makhachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) fights him on his terms.

“If they really want it, they need to chase the champion,” Oliveira told Ag. Fight. “I chased the champion, right? Then I became the champion. I want to fight in December. Do you really want this? So let’s do something cool. Now I’m talking to you. Let’s fight in January in Brazil? Isn’t that what you really want? So sell it more. But look at this, Khabib, you’ve already tried three premonitions about me and missed all three.

“Look, I won’t say I’m going to submit or knock him out, but I’ll beat him. Listen to this: I will beat Islam Makhachev. The division’s problem is called Charles Oliveira. That’s the division’s problem. It doesn’t matter what they say. If they really want it, I want it, too.

“Look, forget about Conor McGregor now. Forget it. In Brazil, Charles Oliveira against Islam Makhachev. Is this the fight you want? So we will have it. Charles Oliveira against Islam Makhachev in Brazil.”

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After Nurmagomedov retired, Oliveira captured the vacant lightweight title with a knockout of Michael Chandler. He followed that up with back-to-back submissions of former interim champs Dustin Poirier and Gaethje and would be ready to continue his tear by putting Makhachev on his highlight reel too.

Nurmagomedov has been campaigning for Makhachev to get his shot, and Oliveira wouldn’t mind shutting both of them up.

“I’ll beat him (Makhachev). So who knows, maybe you (Nurmagomedov) come of retirement and come too?” Oliveira said. “Each one says what they want. I am the division’s problem. I have one of the best jiu-jitsu (games) in the division and in the UFC. I think these guys are talking too much. They want to get in my mind, but that’s not possible.”

He continued, “(Khabib) was champion, 29 wins in a row, and never said anything. He always sold the fight in a good way, really damn well, and today he is always talking a lot, and if it’s to talk, I’m gonna say it: I’ll beat Islam Makhachev and then challenge Khabib to come back from retirement. It’s the fight everyone will want to see. Isn’t that what everyone will want to see? Everyone says Khabib is f*cking tough. I respect him a lot, but lately, he’s been talking too much.”

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Photos: 2022 UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony

Check out these photos from the red carpet and induction ceremony for the UFC Hall of Fame Class of 2022.

Check out these photos highlighting the 2022 UFC Hall of Fame induction ceremony from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas where [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] (modern wing), [autotag]Daniel Cormier[/autotag] (modern wing), [autotag]Cub Swanson[/autotag] (fight wing) and [autotag]Dooho Cho[/autotag]i (fight wing) were enshrined.

[autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (2021) and [autotag]Giga Chikadze[/autotag] (2022) also were presented with their Forrest Griffin Community Awards. (Photos by Carmen Mandato, Getty Images)