- Islam Makhachev is confident about being ready for Dustin Poirier’s guillotine choke attempts
- The reigning lightweight champ talked about possibly facing Arman Tsarukyan and Belal Muhammad in a title fight
Islam Makhachev is looking forward to countering Dustin Poirier’s guillotine choke attempt and is also thinking about the possibility of facing Belal Muhammad and Arman Tsarukyan.
Islam is prepared for Dustin’s guillotine
Speaking to Weighing In podcast, Makhachev was asked to share his thoughts about Poirier’s grappling, especially “The Diamond’s” tendency to pull off a guillotine choke. As it turned out, Makhachev is well aware of it and in fact, the reigning lightweight champion said he has included that in his training camp drills.
“For sure, we pay attention for this which I did yesterday [in] the drills and I have pain now [in my neck] you know… We did practice because he has very good [guillotine],” Makhachev said. “He never finished someone in the fight [with that] but if he jumps all the time and he believe his guillotine, it’s mean he has not bad guillotine. That’s why I will prepare. I have to pay attention for this for sure, but this is a bad luck for him because always he jumps to the guillotine and he has some trouble.”
Why Islam always go for submission and not ground and pound
Makhachev was then asked why he tends to go for a submission everytime he takes his opponent down when he has high-level ground and pound as well. As per Islam, it’s just that more often than not, he always finds a way to submit his opponents whenever they hit the ground.
“I don’t know because maybe I like the submission when I take down somebody I always looking for some space to do some submission. If I focus in the ground and pound, I have to like you know change first I have to give some ground and pound because and I have more space to give some submission but I don’t know last my opponents when I take them down like right away I have something [submission] to do,” he explained.
Arman deserves a shot
Among the other Top-5 lightweight contenders besides Poirier, Tsarukyan has become the favorite to get a crack at Makhachev. In 2019, Islam already beat “Ahalkalakets” via decision and upon studying his former rival’s skills, the champ is certain there is zero to minimal improvement from the first time they fought.
“For sure, he deserved the title fight,” Makhachev said of Tsarukyan. “He beat everybody who we have in the lightweight but it’s going to be same you know, I don’t see something he have more than me honestly, wrestling or grappling or striking, he have same. He will be one day champion, maybe when I retired it but now we’re in the different level.”
Beautiful takedown by @MAKHACHEVMMA#UFCStPetersburg pic.twitter.com/b8LEwc0drt
— UFC (@ufc) April 20, 2019
The conflict of a title fight with Belal
Muhammad will face Leon Edwards for the welterweight title fight at UFC 304. With Makhachev eager to move up to 170, there’s a chance that he and “Remember the Name” will end up taking on one another. However, they are both under Ali Abdelaziz which makes things a bit complicated.
The way Islam sees it, their team might do something about it if it really comes down to it.
Islam Makhachev is asked what happens to his plans of moving up to 170 and fighting for the belt if Belal Muhammad defeats Leon Edwards:
"I don't know brother. We have same manager, we will do something…
Belal is so good, very good guy. He just came to the camp and he was… pic.twitter.com/tdeHAeAWHh
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 20, 2024
“I don’t know brother. We have same manager, we will do something [about it],” Makhachev said of possibly facing Muhammad.
Makhachev will try and defend his lightweight title for the third time when he meets Poirier at UFC 302. He is coming off a stunning first-round KO win over Alexander Volkanovski in their epic rematch at UFC 294.
Watch Islam’s full podcast interview below:
