Daniel Cormier is so impressed with Islam Makhachev following UFC 294 that he is considering him the pound-for-pound best MMA fighter today over Jon Jones.
Makhachev took on Alex Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 294. The UFC Lightweight Championship rematch played out far differently from the first encounter. While their first matchup was highly competitive, Makhachev made short work of “The Great” when the two collided in Abu Dhabi. He scored a head kick, coupled with ground-and-pound to stop Volkanovski in the first round.
Daniel Cormier In Awe of Islam Makhachev’s UFC 294 Outing
In a new video posted on his YouTube channel, Daniel Cormier discussed Islam Makhachev’s showing at UFC 294. He explained why he feel the performance was special.
“Hats off to Islam,” Cormier said. “He went in there with a game plan and he followed it to a tee. It was inside leg kick, inside leg kick, inside leg kick, high kick, blocked partially, high kick ends the fight. You watch these guys and you watch these guys evolve and you watch them get better, but the way he was able to separate himself from Alex over the course of eight months, special. And I do believe that, that was due in part of him not knowing who he was fighting. So, him really not having time to prepare for him, but also him not overlooking him.”
DC Picks Islam As Pound-For-Pound Best, Not Jon Jones
Before UFC 294 took place, Makhachev expressed to media members that he felt UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones didn’t deserve his number one spot on the official UFC pound-for-pound ranking. Cormier agrees with Makhachev.
“There’s work to be done for Makhachev to be considered the greatest of all time, but what can’t be denied is that he is now the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and why? Because of the person that he just beat in the fashion that he just beat, it’s unreal.”
Here’s the full video of Daniel Cormier heaping praise on Islam Makhachev:
