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At this point, essentially everyone in the MMA community is aware of the sneaky Russian Tie Snap that Islam Makhachev executed on NCAA wrestler Chase Saldate during a workout at the American Kickboxing Academy.
Although Makhachev's uncommon takedown move was flawlessly executed, few have noted the minor intricacies and setup he employed to get there.
Saldate, the recipient of the MSU (Michigan State University) Outstanding Freshman Award, engaged in an intense sparring session with Makhachev at the AKA facility in San Jose approximately four years ago.
Both wrestlers employed creative tactics in an attempt to pin their opponent to the mat. However, it was Islam Makhachev's spectacular Russian Tie Snap that came out on top, and the video instantly went viral on the internet. The Russian Tie, also known as the Russian 2-on-1, is a strong grip that makes it extremely difficult for your opponent to take you down. Essentially, it is a control position that allows for any form of submissions or takedowns.
Check out the video below:
As a direct witness to the takedown, former UFC two-division champion Daniel Cormier's genuine astonishment at the technique only added to the feat's credibility.
Saldate, who is ranked No.19 in the NCAA's 157-pound category, explained how Islam Makhachev deceived him into assuming he had another technique planned while patiently plotting the move with a simple yet effective setup. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Saldate claimed:
"A lot of people have seen this video, but I'm going to show you guys the one piece of secret technique that makes it work... The one piece of technique he used was the whole entire time he would just tap my neck.... Nothing hard, just slow."
He added:
"What this did was [it] got me thinking, 'Why is he tapping my neck? Why is he doing that?' While I started to think about that, he had his hand on my wrist, fake shot, swept under, landed on my head... I wasn't even thinking about grabbing the wrist."
Check out the video below:
When is Islam Makhachev's next fight?
Islam Makhachev fulfilled the ambition of Khabib Nurmagomedov's late father Abdulmanap by becoming the UFC's undisputed lightweight title with a decisive submission victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 280.
The Dagestani seized the opportunity to challenge Alexander Volkanovski for the first defense of his freshly minted championship, with the top spot in the pound-for-pound rankings at play.
In Islam Makhachev's next fight, scheduled for UFC 284 on February 11 in Volkanovski's hometown of Perth, Australia, the Dagestani will aim to retain his title and seize Volkanovski's position as the top pound-for-pound fighter.
Makhachev has opened as a -305 betting favorite vs. the +225 underdog Volkanovski, according to the current odds at DraftKings Sportsbook. The probabilities may vary as the event approaches.
