Media Islam Makhachev: I'm getting out of fights in my division, nothing exciting there. Hoping to get Leon fight with 2 wins.

[blaseblase]

Islam's resume is for sure thinner as of now, but not by a lot. Oliveira is a better win than any of Khabibs. Beyond that, Volk I'd hold as a better win than Poirier, Gaethje or fellow FWs like coked up Conor and journeyman Barboza...mentioning Barboza is wild, to me, he's not a great win. Hooker is trash I agree there. I hold Khabibs win over RDA really high, might be his best win but honestly from the looks of it, beating a super green Arman on short notice is still better than almost all of Khabibs wins too. Neither of them will have deep resumes by the time they retire.

One thing I always gotta credit Khabib with is he fought really talented guys on his way up like Eldar Eldarov, Ali Bagov, Shahbulat etc. Guys who were actually able to take him down too. Islam kinda similar, he arguably lost to Egoyan (a fellow combat Sambo world champ) and struggled a lot vs Mansour Barnaoui, also his amateur win vs Zabit shouldn't go ignored.

Islam will crush Poirier and if he beats Arman after that he will have surpassed Khabibs defense record, he will have the longest win streak at 155lbs in UFC history. If he decides to go up and challenge Leon/Shavkat it's a true make or break moment, if he wins the 170lb belt he's a true GOAT status and surpasses Khabib, if he loses he probably falls just below.

I would say that RDA is pretty close to Charles. He had that crazy run of dominating Nate, Bendo, Pettis, and Cerrone.

Volk at FW is a beast. Volk at LW is 0-2. In no way do I consider him a better win than Poirier at LW. You have to account for size. Poirier is a top 10 LW GOAT and has a deeper resume, including a much more dominant win over Holloway.

Barboza > Hooker, we all saw their fight.

I don't consider Islam's win over Arman because it was Arman's UFC debut and as you say he was green. That's not as good a win as Khabib's win over a top 10 Michael Johnson for instance, even though Arman went on to be better than Michael Johnson.

Islam needs only 2 title defenses to break Khabib's record but imo he needs at least 3 to be considered greater than Khabib.

 

[Rio Ferdinand]

Dana needs to make it mandatory to defend against at least 3 contenders in your own weight class before you are allowed to move up/down.

Otherwise you are required to relinquish the belt.

makhachev hopefully will stick to his word and fight poirier and arman before moving up.

 

[markg171]

Dana needs to make it mandatory to defend against at least 3 contenders in your own weight class before you are allowed to move up/down.

Otherwise you are required to relinquish the belt.

makhachev hopefully will stick to his word and fight poirier and arman before moving up.

???

Poirier and Arman is only 2 contenders, not 3.

 

[markg171]

don't care about Islam in the slightest but just checking in to say that he looks fucking terrible. does he have lupus or something

His "heart disease" is probably flaring up again.

 

[Rio Ferdinand]

???

Poirier and Arman is only 2 contenders, not 3.

Well we don't know who the 3rd will be when its so far down the line.

 

[Rektkid]

Islam himself said he's the one who picked Volk over Gamrot:



Islam: You have to say thanks to me. I can choose any other opponent. We have Gamrot, we have Poirier, everybody is ready to fight for the belt. But I give you for the second time a chance. Just say ‘thank you’, that’s it.

This was Islam's version of trash talking Volk. Like, be grateful I'm giving you the opportunity again. Dana made it clear Islam was ready for anyone. He even put a quote up in honour of Islam's readiness to fight anyone as a champ. Also, pretty sure Poirier was asked too but he turned the fight down.

 

[markg171]

This was Islam's version of trash talking Volk. Like, be grateful I'm giving you the opportunity again. Dana made it clear Islam was ready for anyone. He even put a quote up in honour of Islam's readiness to fight anyone as a champ. Also, pretty sure Poirier was asked too but he turned the fight down.

Okay Ali.

 

[NikLuk]

He beat Oliveira like he owed him money. Get over it.

He did beat Oliveira convincingly. But you replied to this:

He still hasn't defended against a lightweight. If he gets through Poirier and Arman there will be Gamrot.

And it’s true what @blaseblase wrote. Since winning the belt against Oliveira Islam still hasn’t defended the belt against a LW.

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Islam couldn’t fight due to Ramadan. Justin or the organizers should have re arranged it. Right now Dustin looks like a better fight than Gathje anyway.

He could have fought Gaethje in February but decided not to.

 

[RichardHarrow]

He could have fought Gaethje in February but decided not to.

Granted he could have taken that fight but apart from Pereira what other champions in recent years fight that often? Makachevs team asked for a fight in March but they it was headlined by Malley . UFC has cocked up a lot with recent matchmaking.

 

[RichardHarrow]

He did beat Oliveira convincingly. But you replied to this:



And it’s true what @blaseblase wrote. Since winning the belt against Oliveira Islam still hasn’t defended the belt against a LW.

@NoBiasJustMMA @HuskySamoan @StoicBeau @Crash-override @chiefwiggum @Koro_11

He rematches these opponents you complain. He fights and beats Poirier youll claim Poirier wasn’t that good and recently got knocked out. He moves up you’ll claim why doesn’t he fight pound for pound no2.

He made Oliveira look pedestrian. Fought 7 times since 2021 far more than Holloway and Gathje.

This has nothing to do with intellectual honesty.

I’ll remind you of this when he batters Poirier and then you’ll retort with tears like the toddlers you are.

 

[Conan the K-9]

lol, when time is right Leon can always fake an injury and then claim he is part of a man made cult that only does allow him to work a few months in a year and only in certain times. Let’s see how many people here will defend that behavior.

 

[markg171]

Granted he could have taken that fight but apart from Pereira what other champions in recent years fight that often? Makachevs team asked for a fight in March but they it was headlined by Malley . UFC has cocked up a lot with recent matchmaking.

Islam has fought in the spring and fall since 2021 until now. The excuse that he couldn't have fought in February because that's just too active doesn't fly. That's literally been his activity level for years.

It's especially bad as his last opponent who he KO'd fought on that very card.

Fought 7 times since 2021 far more than Holloway and Gathje.

Don’t pretend to be intellectually honest here.

The person being intellectually dishonest here is you by including his non-championship activity levels as proof of his championship activity levels which is what people are actually complaining about.

 

[nonoob]

Islam has never defended against his #1 contender, let alone #2-4 title contenders. Volk wasn't in contention in either fight and Poirier's 5th right now behind Arman, Max, Charles, and Justin.

Sad thing - we all want to see him in action...against the best, NOT his "cherry picked" victims on short notice with no kind of decent fight camp.

Volk 2's surgery circumstances was an unacceptable F'n Travesty "defense" that ANY Real Champion with testicles should have said "I have far too much respect for Volk to fight him at this time. EVERYONE knows he needs his surgery to heal, and after that to get in a full camp ".​

when time is right Leon can always fake an injury and then claim he is part of a man made cult that only does allow him to work a few months in a year and only in certain times. Let’s see how many people here will defend that behavior.

​

Islam vs Leon/Belal/Shavkat are better match ups than any LWs on the horizon.

Ya mean Dana makes him fight a contender without planned short notice that is not under HIS weight class...for yet another "title defense"?​

Gaethje was in line for a shot coming of KOing Dustin but Islam wouldn't fight for sufficiently long enough for Justin to take another fight (and presumably a decent payday) but then less than 3 hours after the title picture clears up, with Gaethje and Charles losing, all of the sudden there is a 3 hour window to book a fight on 5-6 weeks notice, like it or leave it?!

Well... dammit jeff, now ya make ufc obfuscation painfully clear.​

 

[richardjohnson]

Said it before, the only reason Sherdogs darling Chucky never defended against Volk was because Islam beat him like a ginger stepchild.

It was common knowledge the winner of Islam vs Chucky was getting Volk afterwards.

It’s one of the strangest cry baby criticisms in recent years.

Yup for whatever reason that detail is always left out. Volk was next for whoever won at UFC 280, but these people love to act like Islam chose him over everyone else.

 

[richardjohnson]

Wasn’t it like a month and a half ago people were criticizing Islam for turning down a fight with Leon due to Ramadan?

Make up your damn minds.

 

[markg171]

Yup for whatever reason that detail is always left out. Volk was next for whoever won at UFC 280, but these people love to act like Islam chose him over everyone else.

Volk was so officially next that Islam and Khabib had to call him out in their post-fight interview and ask for it themselves, and then Volk needed permission to come into the cage.

None of which of course changes that calling out a FW to come up to you is ridiculous. You get your first top 5 win ever and immediately ask to fight somebody outside it again?

 

[NoBiasJustMMA]

Granted he could have taken that fight but apart from Pereira what other champions in recent years fight that often? Makachevs team asked for a fight in March but they it was headlined by Malley . UFC has cocked up a lot with recent matchmaking.

It's not really about his activity levels, the issue is bad matchmaking on the part of the UFC and how no one defends their belts against contenders in their own division anymore. The first Volkanovski fight was fine since Volkanovski had cleared out his division but the second one shouldn't have happened since Gamrot was the back up and had a full training camp and was ready to go but the UFC likely chose Volkanovski over the top 5 LW.

If Islam had fought in February though and beat Gaethje he likely would be fighting Arman and both would have a full training camp. Instead Arman turned the short notice down which is totally understandable since he already fought Islam on short notice and if he lost again might never get a third shot and he might actually be able to beat him so he wants a full camp to give himself his best chance of winning. I don't think Dustin can beat him so the short notice probably makes no difference and he otherwise wouldn't be getting the title shot so him accepting it also makes sense.

Besides no one can pass up Arman for the next title shot so he can just fight the winner later this year or early 2025.

 

[Goutfather]

Who at 155 has a chance against him?

And not his fault he fought against the fighters he has, he fights who the UFC tells him too. The truth is he has ZERO competition at 155. Screw title defenses, move up for fights that are actually challenging.

everyone. everyone at the top can beat him. they’re all dangerous. remember when people said sean strickland was a sacrificial lamb for izzy? yeah. beating all contenders is easier said than done, as izzy learned. likewise, islam needs to put in the work if he wants the glory. i’m not going to assume he’d beat everyone just because he finished volk once (after narrowly escaping the first fight). anyway, islam has not looked unbeatable. he has not proven himself. if he wants to move up and fight at his natural weight, fine, but he should be stripped.

 

[richardjohnson]

Volk was so officially next that Islam and Khabib had to call him out in their post-fight interview and ask for it themselves, and then Volk needed permission to come into the cage.

None of which of course changes that calling out a FW to come up to you is ridiculous. You get your first top 5 win ever and immediately ask to fight somebody outside it again?

I know it doesn’t fit your narrative but Dana had said Volk was next for the winner of Oliveira vs Islam.

Dana White: 'It makes sense' Alexander Volkanovski will get lightweight title shot vs. UFC 280 main event winner

Ahead of UFC 280, Dana White said Alexander Volkanovski vs. the main event winner makes sense to him.

mmajunkie.usatoday.com

But I’m sure you won’t let a little thing like facts get in the way of your dumbass opinion.