Islam Makhachev delivered his second finish of the year this weekend with a dominant submission victory over Thiago Moises. Makhachev, the Dagestani heir apparent to Khabib Nurmagomedov’s lightweight throne, has title aspirations and wears his mentor’s legacy with pride.
Following his victory in the headline fight this weekend, Makhachev told the post-fight press conference what he wants next. He doesn’t just want to fight Tony Ferguson. He wants to prove that Tony is not, and never was, on Khabib’s level.
Makhachev: “Tony is not on Khabib’s level”
“If they gonna give me a choice, let’s do it with Tony. Because we have good history with him. Khabib was supposed to fight with him five, six times? Let’s finish this, you know?
I’m going to finish this. And I’m going to show people around the world Tony not Khabib level. People don’t understand how Khabib had pressure. I cannot explain to you guys but you know everything.
“Let’s do end of this year. One more fight, I’m going to finish one more fight, and in the end I’m going to be Fighter of the Year.”
Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov had one of the most famous rivalries in UFC history. Chaotic, unpredictable, American Tony Ferguson and the cold, ruthless Russian Khabib Nurmagomedov made an intriguing pairing.
The two were scheduled to fight many times over the years, as both men scaled the heights of the lightweight division, but every time issues with injuries, weight cuts, and the occasional global pandemic intervened.
It appears that Islam Makhachev is interested, on his way to the top, in tying up the loose ends left by Khabib’s recent retirement.
Manager Ali Abdelaziz mentioned Conor McGregor as a potential opponent, while Islam himself called out both Rafael Dos Anjos and Bellator import Michael Chandler.
Whether or not Islam Makhachev gets his wish remains to be seen. Supposedly Dana White sees Beneil Dariush as a more realistic aim for Makhachev’s future. When asked about this prospect, the Russian was typically relaxed and complimentary of his opponent:
“Dariush, Beniel, really good fighter. If they give me Beneil, he’s going to be a good fight. He’s a nice guy, I know him a little bit. He’s number three, a big step for me too. He’s tough, more than these other guys I call.”
Islam looks set for a bright future in the UFC. Do you see him scaling the lofty heights once occupied by his mentor, or is it just another hype train for a top-ranked fighter to derail? Let us know in the comments.
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