The former UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov, believes his protege, Islam Makhachev, will obliterate his opponent Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. Nurmagomedov detailed the plan in an interview with UFC Russia. Simply put, Khabib says Makhachev is “more skilled” and in the prime of his athletic career.
“I think Islam is more skilled than Oliveira. Secondly, his experience as an amateur fighter. Also, he’s at his peak. Islam is at his peak. Islam isn’t 23, 26 or 27. He’s 30. A week after the fight, he’ll be 31. It’s the best time for any athlete. It’s a time when your mental and physical state should be in synergy. Sometimes your mental state is high, but your physical state is going down.
Khabib: “More Skilled” Makhachev Will “Roll Over” Oliveira
Or when you’re 27 and at your physical peak, but mentally you’re not there yet, because you’re just 27, not 31. And Islam is at his peak. I think Islam is better overall. Of course, there are some potential dangers that we’re working on where Islam needs to be careful. Other than that, Islam should roll over him.”
Those “potential dangers” include the fact that Charles Oliveira holds the UFC record for most finishes and most submissions. Considering that Islam Makhachev’s sole UFC loss came via knockout, and that much of his game depends on his elite grappling, Charles Oliveira has more than a puncher’s chance of finishing the fight.
Khabib, in espousing Islam Makhachev’s virtues, also begged his longtime rival Tony Ferguson to hang up the gloves. Just as he says it’s Islam’s time today, he pointed out that his time, and Ferguson’s, has passed.
“His time is up, and there’s no way to get it back. Not Khabib, not Tony, nobody. We had our time, and it passed. He continues to fight. He needs money. You have to pay your bills in the US, and I’m sure that since he’s a Californian, I know all the Californian fighters – everything he earned, take half of that.
I think he keeps fighting for money to pay bills, taxes. He has a family, I think he has two kids. I don’t blame him, but you can’t get back time. When your time goes away it doesn’t ask your name.”
Khabib has long touted his protege as the future of the UFC lightweight division. Khabib retired suddenly following the death of his father with an unblemished 29-0 record.
Is this the beginning of the Islam Makhachev era, or will Charles Oliveira reclaim UFC gold? Let us know in the comments.
