"Energy efficient" - Dan Hooker explains why Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov take fighters down against the cage than "out in the open"

Dan Hooker thinks Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov prefer taking opponents down against the cage rather than in the open because it's a smarter move.

Makhachev stopped Bobby Green in less than a round at UFC Vegas 49 by locking him down against the cage. The Dagestani fighter utilized the cage to achieve greater control on the mount and finished 'King' off with a flurry of strikes.

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has also won a number of fights in similar fashion. Many are now beginning to speculate that 'The Eagle' and Makhachev have perfected the aforementioned technique.

However, Dan Hooker says that the Dagestani duo are just being smart about it. 'The Hangman' reckons that shooting for a takedown against the cage is physically less taxing than taking an opponent down in the middle of the octagon.

In a recent reaction video on The AllStar YouTube channel, Hooker said:

“It’s just a lot more energy efficient and a lot safer to shoot against the cage... To really press a wrestling game against the cage is a lot less energy consuming than shooting a takedown out in the open like that. [There’s] a lot of distance to cover [in open takedowns]. There’s like a lot of opportunities to run into guillotines and knees and all that kind of drama, so I feel like it’s just more energy efficient… That’s just a general rule of thumb.”

Listen to Hooker's full analysis below:

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Khabib Nurmagomedov tells Islam Makhachev title fight is next

Leading up to the fight, Khabib Nurmagomedov had speculated that Islam Makhachev was edging closer to a title shot. He assumed that a win over Bobby Green could be his friend's launch pad to a title showdown with the winner of the Charles Oliveira-Justin Gaethje bout.

After the fight, Makhachev told ESPN MMA that UFC boss Dana White had already broken the good news. According to the 30-year-old Dagestani star, White confirmed to Nurmagomedov that he (Makhachev) would be fighting for the title next:

"I just smashed my all four opponents. Four-win streak I have this last 11 months, and Dana [White] just called Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and said [Islam Makhachev] is gonna fight for the title next."

Watch Makhachev's full interview below:

As it stands, Makhachev boasts a 10-fight win streak. Meanwhile, lightweight champion Oliveira has gone unbeaten in 11 consecutive fights.