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Islam Makhachev has been touted by many as a future UFC champion.
A vast majority of MMA fans and experts, including Makhachev’s teammate and MMA legend Daniel Cormier, believe that Makhachev has what it takes to succeed Khabib Nurmagomedov as the next dominant UFC lightweight champion.
Akin to MMA icon and former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev too has time and again been criticized for what many claim to be his rudimentary striking skills.
Nevertheless, it’s Makhachev’s outstanding grappling skills, just like Nurmagomedov, which lead many to prophesize that he is indeed a future UFC lightweight champion.
On that note, we look at a few top-tier fighters who currently compete in the UFC's lightweight division and could out-grapple Islam Makhachev.
3) Beneil Dariush could utilize his wealth of BJJ experience and outsmart Islam Makhachev in the grappling realm
Beneil Dariush is a highly accomplished grappler with Brazilian jiu-jitsu world titles and several notable MMA wins on his resume. Dariush’s most recent fight, in which he dominated Tony Ferguson in the grappling department en route to a unanimous decision victory, proved that he’s ascended to the next level of MMA grappling.
Dariush showcased a more evolved version of his grappling skill set by not limiting his offense to just BJJ but also utilizing efficient ground and pound tactics. It’d be safe to say that Dariush, with his ever-evolving skills and dangerous BJJ weaponry, could pose problems for Islam Makhachev in the grappling realm.
2) Charles Oliveira can not only counter Islam Makhachev’s wrestling and sambo but also initiate the grappling offense
Charles Oliveira’s striking has improved leaps and bounds over the past few years, whereas Makhachev is yet to prove his mettle in the striking department.
That said, even if Islam Makhachev were to fend off Oliveira’s striking somehow, the reigning UFC lightweight champion’s grappling offense would be no less of a nightmare to deal with.
Oliveira could initiate the grappling offense in this matchup and control Islam Makhachev on the ground, be it from the top or bottom positions. Perhaps 'Do Bronx' could become the first fighter to defeat Makhachev via submission.
1) Dustin Poirier – Jump the gilly!
Yes, lightweight contenders such as Gregor Gillespie, Rafael dos Anjos, Kevin Lee, Tony Ferguson, and Michael Chandler are more than capable of out-grappling any lightweight on a given night.
However, what makes Dustin Poirier stand out as a considerable threat to Islam Makhachev is the fact that Poirier almost submitted Khabib Nurmagomedov with a guillotine choke. Poirier had addressed this on the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) podcast and provided a detailed explanation to UFC commentator Joe Rogan about how close he was to finishing Nurmagomedov.
That fight transpired in 2019, and Poirier is someone who’s never stepped out of the game. 'The Diamond' is notorious for his commitment to the sport and his ever-evolving MMA skill-set, making him a tricky challenge for Islam Makhachev to deal with.
Poirier’s popular "Jump the gilly" social media posts aren’t merely meme material or lighthearted social media talk, but they’re rather indicative of his deadly submission skills. If Islam Makhachev happens to get caught in Dustin Poirier’s feared guillotine choke, there’s no telling whether or not he’d be able to escape as Nurmagomedov did.
Which UFC lightweight do you see out-grappling Islam Makhachev? Sound off in the comments.
