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Islam Makhachev has since fought after dethroning Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title. He stopped Alexander Volkanovski from making promotional history by becoming the latest in a rare line of fighters to simultaneously hold two-division gold. It was a hard-fought bout but the Dagestani phenom was victorious.
Unfortunately, Khabib Nurmagomedov's protege wasn't crowned the best P4P fighter in the world as he expected. Now, however, with his saga with 'The Great' over, he must focus on the division he's reigning in. He has a series of challengers who are chomping at the bit to capture his title.
Makhachev possesses the skill set necessary to be a long-reigning champion. But that doesn't mean every matchup will be a walk in the park like his bout against Dan Hooker. There are elite-level competitors at lightweight who will be hard to overcome, and this list looks at five of his toughest potential matchups.
#5. Islam Makhachev vs. Michael Chandler
Michael Chandler has received a lot of criticism for his decision-making inside the octagon. The three-time Bellator lightweight champion often throws caution to the wind during his bouts. He steps in very deep with every punch and isn't above overextending with looping strikes and his chin overexposed.
He rarely resorts to his wrestling skills unless he's hurt and trying to buy himself some recovery time. But being a tough matchup for Islam Makhachev doesn't mean he can beat the Dagestani phenom. Instead, it only means that he has the necessary skills to make a potential bout difficult.
As shown in the lightweight kingpin's bout against Alexander Volkanovsi, a stocky and physically strong fighter with wrestling experience can be difficult to outwrestle. 'Iron' is a much better wrestler than 'The Great' and is possibly even stronger.
Thus, Makhachev might not have the easiest time implementing his traditional wrestling game against him. He's likely to win, but it might not be as easy as anticipated.
#4. Islam Makhachev vs. Rafael Fiziev
Rafael Fiziev is one of the best strikers in the UFC. The Muay Thai standout is an offensive buzzsaw with some of the fastest blows in the lightweight division. While Islam Makhachev is a skilled striker with deceptive punching power, he can absolutely not strike with 'Ataman'.
Makhachev's best hope is to wrestle with him. This could prove harder than anticipated until the bout gets to the later rounds. Fiziev is a fast and explosive fighter who often frames his elbow against his opponents before landing a different elbow off the break to make his foes pay for trying to wrestle him.
In the event that someone drags him to the mat, 'Ataman' immediately secures overhooks to control his foe's posture and disengage from grappling sequences. As with the Chandler entry, Makhachev will likely defeat Fiziev, but it might be harder than expected.
#3. Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan
The interesting part revolving around a potential matchup between Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev is that the two men have locked horns in the past. Even more interesting is that the Dagestani grappler was the 26-year-old's opponent in his debut UFC bout.
Their bout was competitive as 'Ahalkalakets' outstruck his opponent but trailed behind him in the grappling phase of the fight. He conceded four takedowns but managed to secure one of his own. Furthermore, Tsarukyan initiated several scrambles that made it difficult for Makhachev to control him.
The two men have both grown and evolved as fighters since. But it is worth noting that Tsarukyan was in his early twenties at the time. He has improved to such an extent that a rematch will be a more difficult affair for Islam Makhachev.
#2. Islam Makhachev vs. Mateusz Gamrot
Fellow American Top Team member Jorge Masvidal once described Mateusz Gamrot as a future UFC champion in the making. A glance at the Polish sensation's skill set and record makes it easy to see why. 'Gamer' is an exceptional wrestler with a breadth of grappling experience.
He won gold in the European trials of the ADCC Championship along with several Polish grappling competitions. 'Gamer' recently faced Beneil Dariush at UFC 280 and their bout was a showcase of high-level grappling. While Gamrot lost most of the striking exchanges and even suffered a knockdown, his wrestling impressed.
He initiated scrambles after failed takedowns and showcased the cardio to go three hard rounds wrestling at full pace. He has every physical attribute and skill necessary to make a bout with Islam Makhachev competitive.
#1. Islam Makhachev vs. Beneil Dariush
Beneil Dariush is one of the most underrated fighters in the lightweight division. Despite being at the helm of an eight-fight win streak, the Iranian fighter has been denied an opportunity to fight for the UFC lightweight title. Instead, he is currently scheduled to face former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 288.
But in the eyes of some fans, the Iranian standout is possibly the most difficult matchup for Islam Makhachev in the lightweight division. In his most recent bout, he faced Mateusz Gamrot. Despite conceding several takedowns, he was able to scramble out of compromising positions.
Furthermore, by forcing Gamrot to scramble with him, he caused his foe to expose his legs to potential leg-locks. This was the crux of Dariush's threats on the mat as he frequently presented the danger of a leg-lock to dissuade Gamrot from being offensive.
Anyone who scrambles with Islam Makhachev, like Alexander Volkanovski and Arman Tsarukyan did, can create problems for the Dagestani grappler. There is no better scrambler at 155 lbs than Beneil Dariush.
