UFC lightweight Michael Chandler doesn’t think Isam Makhachev has truly proved himself yet. Makhachev is set to take on Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight championship at UFC 280, but in a recent interview with MMAFighting, Chandler explained that Islam Makhachev’s resume leaves a little to be desired, despite the Dagestani currently riding a ten-fight win streak.
“Nothing against Islam, you say he looks great, you say he looks unbeatable at times, but he hasn’t really fought anybody. That’s really the truth. He beat No. 14 and then he beat Dan Hooker, who was on a three or four-fight losing streak.
Michael Chandler Slams “Premature Praise” For Makhachev: “He hasn’t really fought anybody”
Now people will say, ‘well, one of your wins was against Dan Hooker, what are you talking about?’ I fought Dan Hooker at a different time. He had just gone 25 minutes with Dustin Poirier, who at that time was the No. 2 lightweight on the entire planet.”
To be clear, Chandler isn’t saying that Makhachev is no good. He just believes the praise being heaped on the young fighter is “premature”.
“I’m not saying that [Islam] not that good. We just can’t say that he’s that good yet. It’s premature praise.” Chandler, who lost to Charles Oliveira back in May 2021, expecting to see a return to the title for “Do Bronx”.
“He has shown his toughness. He has shown his gall. He has shown his continued improvement in his striking, which, obviously, he’s probably the best grappler in the UFC right now today, for sure. He’s become a very effective, basic, long, rangy kickboxer. He’s done very, very well with it. He manages distance very well. If he does get hurt, he can just pull guard, which you saw that in the Gaethje fight and the Poirier fight —— he gets hit, he just falls to his back. It’s actually a very, very great technique because nobody is going to jump into his guard.
I think Charles is just too slick, too good, and he’s going to give him fits on the feet. I don’t think it will be hard to take Charles down, but I think Charles wins the grappling exchanges.
To make Islam the favorite in that fight is somewhat crazy, I think. Maybe that’s me sticking up for Charles, because watching Charles, seeing what he’s done resurrecting his career, somewhat of a ‘couldn’t be relied on, up-and-down, win some, lose some, journeyman’ to now a very dominant champion on a win streak — he’s definitely one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. I think he goes out there and gets the job done.”
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