What Makes Islam Makhachev Special? Former UFC Champion Reveals Being Stunned By Him
Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold has provided an insight into what makes Islam Makhachev such a special fighter.
Right now, there are very few better mixed martial artists on the planet than Islam Makhachev – if any. He is an incredibly well-rounded fighter and over the years, he has carved out quite the legacy for himself in the UFC’s lightweight division. Now, however, he is hoping to take things to a whole new level as he attempts to join the exclusive club of fighters who have been able to win titles in two weight classes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
In order to achieve that goal, though, Islam Makhachev must first get through Jack Della Maddalena, who was able to win the strap by defeating Islam’s friend and training partner Belal Muhammad. While Islam and Belal are two very different fighters, JDM showcased a nice ability to stuff takedowns and keep the fight on his terms, which is something that not many people expected him to do heading into the contest.
A lot of people have trained with Islam Makhachev over the years and have been able to give us a glimpse into what exactly it’s like to be in there with him. That includes Luke Rockhold who, as we know, has also trained extensively with the likes of Daniel Cormier and Khabib Nurmagomedov in the past.
Luke Rockhold’s thoughts on Islam Makhachev
“He came with Khabib. He’s a Dagestani, that’s Khabib’s crew. … I would actually, like, I could spar a little bit with him. Like, he would come in my fourth to my fifth round. … I remember he threw me one time. I was like, ‘What the f***?!’ … Tossed your big—yeah, I was a middleweight and he was—yeah. But I got back up and got him back. But, you know, he definitely surprised me. He’s very tough everywhere.”
Makhachev going up in weight creates an interesting dynamic for this one, and while he certainly looks a lot bigger and like he has taken the change very seriously, Della Maddalena is going to be a tricky puzzle to solve.
