"To be the best you gotta beat the best" - Thiago Moises relishes the chance to test himself against Islam Makhachev

Thiago Moises is set to take on one of the most feared fighters in the UFC's lightweight division this weekend, when he faces Islam Makhachev in the main event of UFC Vegas 31.

But Moises is embracing the challenge that the Dagestani poises. In a recent interview with the UFC, Moises stated that the only way he will become the best fighter in the division will be by beating those previously considered top of the pack and for Moises, that starts with Islam Makhachev.

"I'm here to fight against the best," stated Thiago Moises. "To be the best you gotta beat the best. That's what I wanna do. I want to be the best. He's a great grappler, a very well rounded fighter. He's good everywhere. Good cardio. So he doesn't have a lot of holes in his game, but everybody does mistakes and I’m ready to capitalize that when he does a mistake."

"[Makhachev] doesn’t have a lot of holes in his game, but everybody does mistakes and I’m ready to capitalize that when he does a mistake."@ThiagoMoisesMMA discusses facing Islam Makhachev in the main event of #UFCVegas31 and what he expects from the fight 🔊⬆️ pic.twitter.com/WkAOw7YPID

— UFC News (@UFCNews) July 14, 2021

UFC Vegas 31: Thiago Moises vs. Islam Makhachev

The main event of UFC Vegas 31 was initially set to be a fight between Max Holloway and Yair Rodriguez. However, Holloway was forced to pull out after sustaining an injury during fight camp.

Thiago Moises vs. Islam Makhachev, originally the co-main event, was bumped up to headline the card.

One of the changes this entails will be that there are now five rounds rather than three. This could easily throw a spanner in the works for some fighters. However, Moises sees it as an advantage due to his prior experience in five-round fights outside the UFC.

"For five rounds you gotta train a little bit different. But as for me, was the same for him because he was getting ready for three rounds as well. But I have the advantage because I have fought three times in five-round fights for LFA," said Thiago Moises.

Despite Thiago Moises' confidence, he is still a heavy underdog going into this fight. This is due to Makhachev's incredibly effective style that saw him completely dominate Drew Dober in his last UFC appearance.

There is also an air of mystique surrounding Makhachev, with the expectation that he'll eventually inherit Khabib Nurmagomodov's lightweight title, following the Russian's retirement last year.