Islam Makhachev Is Seeking New Haters After Old Rivals Become Fans Or Is He?
Islam Makhachev recently made a post criticizing his “haters,” saying he needs new ones because the old ones are starting to like him.
He was referring to praise he received from a former opponent, Dan “The Hangman” Hooker. Dan Hooker is a fan-favorite lightweight contender, known for his all-time classic brawls against Dustin Poirier and Jalin Turner. Dan has earned respect in the MMA community through his blood-and-guts performances. He gave credit to Islam for stepping up to a new weight class and taking on the challenge of heavier opposition.
Or did he? I’d be reluctant to not point out that Islam is managed by Ali Abdelaziz. Ali Abdelaziz who happens to be the manager for many, many high level UFC fighters. He has been accused in the past or tweeting on behalf of his athletes in the past. Tweeting sentences that don’t sound like themselves. The internet was quick to point out that Another one of his fighters, former light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev had tweeted the exact in March of this year. This might be a coincidence, but make of it what you will.
“he had great success over a very similar opponent” – Dan Hooker on JDM vs Makhachev
In an interview with Sky Sports, Hooker said, “He has Craig Jones, who’s obviously a master of jiu-jitsu, and he has an incredible skill set at countering the Dagestani style. He sees quite a lot of flaws in their style, and he’s helped Alex prepare for Islam Makhachev in the past.
“So, the camp here for Jack Della is very well prepared for fighting Islam Makhachev. The fight with Belal, he had great success over a very similar opponent. He is a guy who will wrestle back and stand his ground, and he is a big, strong, legit welterweight. I’ve stood next to Jack Della, and there’s no way he’s making lightweight, even if he cut off one of his legs.”
This is a highly anticipated fight that could change the course of welterweight history. Islam has had many career-defining fights so far, but this may be the most significant to his legacy. The MMA world now waits to see the fate of the welterweight division in this classic striker versus grappler matchup.
