Islam Makhachev

UFC Vegas 31 Preview: Islam Makhachev – Thiago Moises

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In the main event of UFC Vegas 31 we will see a lightweight showdown between two top fifteen contenders. Dagestan’s Islam Makhachev (19-1) gets his first headlining fight as he takes on the surging Thiago Moises (15-4) tomorrow night.

Thiago Moises is making his seventh UFC appearance tomorrow night. After earning a contract with the promotion on Dana White’s Contender Series, Moises at a young age was thrown right to the wolves in taking on Beneil Dariush in his first fight.

Since losing that fight to Dariush, Moises has gone 4-1 in the UFC. Since losing the first round to Michael Johnson last year, Moises has really flipped the switch. He submitted Johnson in the second round then dominated Bobby Green and Alexander Hernandez.

At just 26 years old, Moises is really coming into his own. That said, he has a nightmare to deal with at UFC Vegas 31. It is a very popular take in the MMA world to say that Islam Makhachev looks like a future UFC champion.

He is the protégé of Khabib Nurmagomedov and he looks like he can be that dominant. Makhachev is the total package and even looks like he could be more advanced than the former undisputed lightweight champion.

He possesses that same dominant grappling style as Khabib, but it’s not a stretch at all to say he possesses better striking. Makhachev has gone 8-1 in the UFC and every time we see him he looks more and more dominant.

UFC Vegas 31 Prediction

We are going to learn a lot about both of these guys tomorrow night at UFC Vegas 31. For Moises, we are going to learn just how good he really is. In the case of Makhachev, we are going to see how well he handles the pressure of being a huge favorite in a main event.

Moises has incredible jiu jitsu and we’ve seen him show off impressive striking. He’s going to need all of his tools to be sharp at UFC Vegas 31. I will say that Thiago Moises can win this fight tomorrow night and he has the skills to do it.

However, it’s an incredible tall order. While he has great jiu jitsu, I don’t think he’s ever experienced someone with the top game and pressure of Makhachev. If Makhachev gets on top tomorrow night, I just don’t see Moises pulling off a submission.

While Moises has looked better than ever, I think we are going to see a showcase at UFC Vegas 31. I’m expecting a statement win for Islam Makhachev as he continues his surge towards the elites of the division. Expect to see a Khabib-Esque performance tomorrow from his protégé.

Prediction: Islam Makhachev by TKO – Round 3

Khabib Nurmagomedov remains firm in retirement from the UFC

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Today we saw an interview drop from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto with former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0). This was the first time since late last year that we’ve seen an in-depth interview with the former champion.

Nurmagomedov last fought at UFC 254 in October when he choked out Justin Gaethje in the second round to retain his lightweight title. An emotional Khabib collapsed in tears after the fight concluded.

Earlier in the year, Khabib had lost his father due to COVID-19 complications. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was not just Khabib’s father, but also his head coach. Khabib was incredibly close with his father and was transparent about how it was hard to compete without him.

Prior to UFC 254, Khabib made a promise to his mother that the October fight would be his final one. Being a man of his word, Khabib laid his gloves in the octagon after the win and officially announced his retirement.

However, that didn’t stop Dana White from trying to get him back. The UFC President tried for months to change Khabib’s mind. In fact, he recently offered Khabib a fight with fellow legend Georges St. Pierre (26-2). However, Khabib remained firm and stayed retired.

Would anything bring Khabib back to the UFC?

Months ago, Khabib’s friend and training partner Daniel Cormier mentioned a scenario that could bring Khabib back. The scenario involved Charles Oliveira (31-8, 1 NC) going on a massive run and defending his title multiple times.

Among those successful title defenses would be a win over Khabib’s protégé Islam Makhachev (19-1). Okamoto asked Khabib about this scenario and whether or not he would consider coming back to prove to the world that he’s the best.

With a smile, the former UFC champion said, “If everything happens like you say, I will say, ‘At that time, it was Khabib’s time, now it’s Charles’ time’. I’m not going to just jump to the media and say I’m going to fight this guy, that’s not interesting for me.”

Khabib is happy with the way his career panned out. The thing he takes the most pride in is that at the moment he retired, he was the UFC’s top pound-for-pound fighter in the rankings. Khabib said he doesn’t consider himself to be the greatest, but he considers himself to be on the level of the other greats.

However, at one point in time, he was without a doubt the best fighter in the world. Now, Khabib is focusing on his post-fighting career which focuses coaching. He said his father always wanted Makhachev to take over the lightweight division after Khabib retired from the UFC.

Khabib acknowledged with a smile that Islam is a little late on his end of the bargain. However, the former champion aims to do everything he can to make Islam Makhachev a lightweight champion in the UFC just like his father wanted. You can see Khabib’s full interview below.

After winning his seventh in a row at UFC 262, what’s next for Beneil Dariush?

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This past Saturday at UFC 262, Beneil Dariush (21-4-1) took on Tony Ferguson (25-6) in the co-main event of the evening. Dariush carried in a six-fight win streak and he finally got his shot against a big time opponent in the former interim lightweight champion.

Beneil Dariush has been flying under the radar over the last couple of years. He had a couple of tough losses in the UFC, but he’s really been turning things around and he’s starting to open some eyes in the lightweight division.

With that said, Saturday was going to be a big test. He was fighting a man who is loved by fans and was long considered to be the boogey man of the lightweight division. El Cucuy is no pushover even at this stage of his career.

Heading into UFC 262, I picked Dariush to win the fight. I just thought that if he stuck to his pressure and grappling, he’d be able to beat Tony Ferguson. Well, that’s exactly what Dariush did on Saturday night.

From the opening bell at UFC 262, Dariush was on Tony Ferguson. Ferguson had no room to breathe and he had no answer for Dariush’s grappling. In the end it was a clean sweep on the scorecards and a statement win for Beneil Dariush.

What’s next after UFC 262?

The UFC rankings came out today and Dariush climbed all the way to third. In doing this, he jumped over top lightweight contenders Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler. I can’t say I agree with the rankings, but Dariush has earned some shine.

While Dariush is squarely in the UFC’s top five, he’s not going to be in the conversations for the next title shot. In fact, I don’t even think he’s going to be in the conversation for a title eliminator next.

Dariush said he wanted to take a little time off to enjoy the birth of his daughter in a few weeks. When he’s ready to make his UFC return, there’s one opponent that I think lines up perfectly for him.

I think the promotion should look at booking Dariush with former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos (30-13). RDA made his return to lightweight last year and he would provide a big test for Dariush.

Stylistically, I think this would be a great matchup and it would build momentum for the winner. One other potential opponent to keep an eye on is Islam Makhachev (19-1). Makhachev takes on Thiago Moises in July and if he wins, I could see the UFC trying to move him up quickly against a top five guy. Dariush would fit the bill there.

UFC books Islam Makhachev – Thiago Moises

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The UFC has finalized a big matchup in the lightweight division pitting two top prospects against each other. Brazil’s Thiago Moises (15-4) will try to stop the hype train of Islam Makhachev (19-1).

ESPN’s Brett Okamoto confirmed the fight last night with UFC President Dana White. The matchup will take place at a UFC Fight Night on July 17th. This is a massive opportunity for Thiago Moises.

Moises is not currently ranked in the lightweight division. However, he has won his last three fights. His wins include victories over Michael Johnson, Bobby Green, and Alexander Hernandez.

While he doesn’t have a spot in the UFC rankings, these wins have him knocking on the door. His opponent is being looked at as a future UFC champion and if Moises can pull off the upset, it will say a lot about him as a prospect.

UFC return for Makhachev

Islam Makhachev just looks like he’s going to be a UFC lightweight champion. He fights very similar to his training partner turned coach Khabib Nurmagomedov. Of course, Nurmagomedov retired undefeated as the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.

Makhachev has great striking and of course he has his Dagestani wrestling. The last time we saw Makhachev was at UFC 259 when he took on Drew Dober. Makhachev completed dominated the fight and submitted Dober in the third round.

With that win, Makhachev has now won seven fights in a row. To be honest, I’m a little surprised this is the direction the promotion decided to go. I figured Makhachev would be in to fight someone in the UFC’s top ten.

In terms of rankings, this is actually a step back as Dober is still ranked in the top fifteen and Moises is not ranked. This almost has the feel of a tune-up fight just to keep Islam Makhachev active.

Whatever the UFC’s reason was, it doesn’t really matter at the end of the day. Makhachev will be back in July and he should be a massive favorite to pick up his eighth straight victory.

After big TKO win at UFC Vegas 26, what’s next for Gregor Gillespie?

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This past Saturday at UFC Vegas 26, Gregor Gillespie (14-1) made his return after an extensive layoff. Gillespie hadn’t fought since the night of the BMF title fight which took place in November of 2019.

It didn’t appear that there were injuries that Gillespie was dealing with, but he spent some time outside of the cage to improve. At UFC Vegas 26, he had a tough test in front of him in Diego Ferreira (17-4).

Ferreira had only lost to Beneil Dariush and Dustin Poirier in his career. In his last appearances, Ferreira lost to Dariush for the second time so you knew that he was hungry coming into UFC Vegas 26.

One thing about this fight was the weight. Ferreira came in over four pounds over the lightweight limit. Gillespie earned 30% of his purse for accepting the fight and he wasn’t about to let the extra weight get in the way of his UFC return.

The first round was a very good round. There were a lot of scrambles and Ferreira had some success landing big shots on Gillespie. At times, it didn’t look great for the return of Gregor Gillespie.

However, Gillespie was able to turn the fight around in the second round. Gillespie used his pace and his grappling to get in a dominant position and he got the TKO victory over Diego Ferreira at UFC Vegas 26.

What’s next after UFC Vegas 26?

With that victory on Saturday, Gillespie is now 7-1 in the UFC with six of his wins coming by finish. He’s now ranked 12th in the lightweight division. Now that he’s made his successful return, what’s next for Gillespie.

Well, I think the UFC should put him up against the guy directly in front of him in the rankings. That lightweight contender is Islam Makhachev (19-1). Makhachev has won seven fights in a row and looks like a future lightweight champion.

He’s 8-1 in the UFC with four finishes. Both of these men are elite grapplers and both are looking to take that next step towards title contention. A matchup between the two would give us that contender.

After having winning streak snapped at UFC 259, what’s next for Drew Dober?

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This past Saturday at UFC 259, Drew Dober (23-10) had the tough task of taking on Islam Makhachev (19-1). Makhachev is already being called the next Khabib and many are saying he will be a future UFC lightweight champion.

However, Drew Dober is not someone anyone should just look past. Heading into Saturday night, Dober had only lost one time since 2017. That one loss came against top ten lightweight Beneil Dariush.

Dober had won three fights in a row by stoppage. He has very good grappling skills and tremendous power on his hands. On paper, he looked like he was going to be a very tough test for Islam Makhachev at UFC 259.

However, when it came to the actual fight, the odds makers were right. Dober was a massive underdog which made many scratch their heads considering it had been a lengthy layoff for Islam Makhachev.

He didn’t fight in all of 2020 so nobody quite knew what to expect. Well, Makhachev was as advertised. He completely dominated Dober and took him down at will. In the third round, Dober was forced to tap from an arm-triangle choke snapping his UFC winning streak.

What’s next after UFC 259?

After this winning streak, UFC 259 proved to be a humbling moment for Drew Dober. The fight taught him a valuable lesson on the levels to the game of MMA and showed him where he needs to improve if he wants to compete with championship level fighters.

After that kind of a loss, it’s time for a reset for Drew Dober. He will need to take on someone with decent name recognition, but someone outside the UFC rankings. With that, there are a couple of names that come to mind.

One fighter that would make a lot of sense is Bobby Green (27-11-1). Green had a great 2020 where he went 3-1. He had to pull out of his last fight due to some weight issues, but by all accounts, he’s ready to get back into the octagon.

Another fun UFC matchup for Dober could be Clay Guida (36-20). Guida looked very good in his last outing against Michael Johnson. He proved that he’s as tough as ever with a grinding style that just doesn’t stop. Both of these matchups would be good and tough rebound matchups for Dober.

After dominant win at UFC 259, what’s next for Islam Makhachev?

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This past Saturday at UFC 259, Islam Makhachev (19-1) took on Drew Dober (23-10) on the main card. Makhachev has a ton of hype surrounding him and many are considering him to be the next Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The UFC‘s lightweight champion grew up with and is one of the lead training partners of Makhachev. Like Nurmagomedov, Makhachev is a world sambo champion and he possesses a lot of the same skills as the lightweight champion.

This matchup against Drew Dober was going to be a big test for Makhachev. Due to the pandemic, we didn’t see Makhachev inside the octagon in 2020. For that reason, many forgot about how talented he really is.

Drew Dober had been soaring coming into UFC 259. A three-fight win streak where he had won all three fights by knockout. The odds were stacked against him on Saturday, but the thought was that he would provide a tough fight for Makhachev.

Well, on Saturday night, Makhachev mauled Drew Dober. The fight wasn’t competitive at all. Like we’ve seen so many times with Khabib, Makhachev controlled Dober for the entire fight before submitting him in the third round. A dominant return to the UFC for Makhachev.

What’s next after UFC 259?

After that dominant win, Makhachev jumped up in the rankings to eleventh. After this fight, he needs to fight someone that’s in the UFC’s top ten. There are a few options that I like and one I think is a very real possibility.

One option for Makhachev would be Kevin Lee (18-6). Lee is gearing up for his return to the octagon after an injury layoff and he’s currently ranked 13th. He’s been vocal about his desire to fight and test Islam Makhachev.

Another option could be Beneil Dariush (20-4-1). Dariush is now inside the top ten and he’s won six fights in a row. However, Dariush has been very vocal about his desire to move up the rankings and not take on someone lower than him.

Then there’s the matchup that Makhachev and the world wants to see. That would be the matchup with the former UFC interim lightweight champion, Tony Ferguson (25-5). Ferguson has history with Makhachev’s camp due to the amount of times he was supposed to fight Khabib.

Khabib and Ferguson were scheduled to fight five times and all five times the fight fell through. Makhachev is looked at as Khabib 2.0 and he wants to be the one to retire Ferguson. Ferguson has lost two in a row so from a rankings perspective, this matchup does make sense for the UFC.

Islam Makhachev dominates and taps Drew Dober at UFC 259

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The second fight on the PPV main card at UFC 259 was a pivotal lightweight matchup between two of the division’s brightest prospects. Islam Makhachev (18-1) was set to take on Drew Dober (23-9).

Originally, Makhachev was supposed to fight former UFC lightweight champion, Rafael Dos Anjos, late in the year last year. However, Makhachev had to pull out of the fight and got booked against Dober tonight.

Makhachev is being looked at as Khabib 2.0. The current lightweight champion is a main training partner and lifelong friend of Makhachev. Both grew up in Dagestan together and Makhachev is the entire package.

He has that incredible wrestling base, however, his striking is also at a high level. This fight wasn’t going to be easy, but many were looking at this as a showcase. The guy looking to play spoiler was Drew Dober.

Quietly, Dober has been a force in the lightweight division over the past few years. The only man to have beaten him in the UFC since 2017 is Beneil Dariush. Dober had the power and the grappling to make this a tough test for Islam Makhachev.

UFC 259 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 259 lightweight contest opened with a touch of the gloves. Dober opens the striking with a very good low kick. Makhachev lands a nice lead uppercut to start his striking. Another powerful leg kick lands for Drew Dober.

Makhachev shoots in for his first takedown and he gets ahold of Dober on a single leg. A nice trip from the single leg leads to a beautiful takedown for Islam Makhachev. Makhachev was being very deliberate on the ground while trying to pass in half guard.

The top control and pressure was very impressive for Makhachev. Halfway through the round and Dober was staying patient on the bottom. Makhachev is able to transition to the mount and Dober was looking to get it back to half guard.

Dober was able to get it back to half guard, but Makhachev almost immediately passed to side control. Makhachev went back to the mount, but Dober exploded in a scramble. Makhachev gets his back and goes for an armbar. It’s close, but the round comes to a close. Great opening round at UFC 259 for Makhachev.

Round 2

Entering the second round at UFC 259 and it’s clear that Dober needs to keep this fight standing. Dober opens the second with pressure and looks for a 1-2. Makhachev dives on a leg, but Dober defended the first takedown.

Makhachev pushed Dober against the fence and immediately used a trip to slam Dober to the ground. Dober was trying to scramble, but Makhachev’s top control kept him in place. Dober got his back to the fence and tried to wall walk to get up.

However, Makhachev was doing a good job of pulling Dober away from the fence and stayed on top. Makhachev ties up Dober’s legs and starts peppering him with shots. Makhachev attempted to transition to mount, but Dober defended well.

Dober was able to get Makhachev back to guard, but that’s the best that he could do. Makhachev landed some massive shots from the guard to end the second round. This easily could be a 10-8 round for Makhachev at UFC 259.

Round 3

Entering the final round at UFC 259 and Dober needed a miracle to win this one. The final round opens with immediate pressure from Dober. Dober looked for his big left hand, but he threw it right into a clinch with Makhachev.

Makhachev had a firm grip on Dober and he slammed Dober to the ground. Dober was desperately trying to force a scramble, but Makhachev remained composed while holding his top control.

Makhachev locks up an arm triangle and it’s in deep. Dober had nothing left to defend it and he taps. Complete and total domination from Islam Makhachev.

Islam Makhachev def. Drew Dober by Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke) – Round 3

UFC 259 Preview: Islam Makhachev – Drew Dober

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Tomorrow night on the main card of UFC 259, we will see a very fun matchup in the lightweight division. Two top prospects will go head-to-head as Islam Makhachev (18-1) takes on Drew Dober (23-9).

Makhachev is already being touted as Khabib 2.0 by many in the media. The UFC‘s lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, is a lead training partner of Islam Makhachev. Both men are from Dagestan and they’ve grown up together in the gym.

Makhachev also trains out of AKA just like Khabib. The lightweight champion is one of the lead cornermen for Makhachev tomorrow night. Makhachev has incredible wrestling, but his striking is also very advanced.

The reason why many are calling him Khabib 2.0 is the fact that his striking is already at such a high level. It’s hard to find a weakness in Makhachev’s game which is why many are saying that he will be the lightweight champion one day.

Drew Dober is trying to stop all the hype around Makhachev. Dober is a sizable underdog, but many are underestimating just how good he is. Since 2017, he’s only lost one fight and that was against top ten contender, Beneil Dariush.

Dober is one of the dark horses in the UFC‘s lightweight division. He has a golden opportunity tomorrow night to silence the hype around Makhachev on the biggest stage possible. Dober’s all around game will make it a very difficult fight for Islam Makhachev.

UFC 259 Prediction

When it comes to UFC 259, there’s a clear reason as to why Islam Makhachev is the favorite. He might have the advantage everywhere this fight goes. While many will say Dober has the striking advantage, I actually think it’s relatively even.

For Drew Dober, one thing to watch for is his right hook. I’ve seen Makhachev susceptible to getting hit with right hands and Dober does have the power to hurt him. However, I’m not sure Dober is going to be able to stop Makhachev from taking him down.

Makhachev is going to dictate where this fight takes place. If he wants to stand, I believe they will stand. However, if he wants to take this down, I’m not sure Drew Dober can stop it. Dober will make him work for everything tomorrow at UFC 259, but I see this being another win for Islam Makhachev.

Prediction: Islam Makhachev by Unanimous Decision

UFC looking to book Islam Makhachev – Drew Dober (Report)

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The UFC is currently working on finalizing a big time matchup in the lightweight division. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto is reporting that the promotion is currently looking to book Islam Makhachev (18-1) against Drew Dober (23-9, 1 NC).

Per Okamoto, a date for the potential UFC fight has not been settled on. However, there is a possibility that the fight takes place in early March. We originally were supposed to see Makhachev fight just a few weeks ago.

Originally, Makhachev was set to fight former UFC lightweight champion, Rafael Dos Anjos. However, Makhachev got staff infection and had to pull out of the fight. That was a big opportunity for the Russian.

Makhachev hails from Dagestan and he’s one of the primary training partners of lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov. Like Nurmagomedov, Makhachev divides his time between Eagles MMA and AKA here in the United States.

With all of the recent retirements from AKA fighters, Makhachev is looked at as the next potential AKA UFC champion. The Russian will enter the octagon against Dober on a six-fight winning streak.

UFC Lightweight Matchup

However, Makhachev will not have an easy time with this next UFC matchup. Drew Dober has shown that he’s a handful in the lightweight division. Going back to 2017, Dober has only lost once inside the octagon.

He’s worked his way into the UFC‘s top 15 on the heels of three straight wins. All three of those wins have been knockouts within two rounds. However, he did slip up against Beneil Dariush in March of 2019.

Outside of that loss, Dober has looked sensational inside the octagon. Of his last six victories, only two of them have gone to the scorecards. This is going to be a big test for the Russian, Makhachev.

Both of these men are ranked inside the UFC‘s top 15. This is a fantastic matchup to gauge just where both of these men are at in their careers. A win for either should guarantee them a top ten opponent in their next fight.