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Islam Makhachev is one of the best grapplers in the UFC today, following in the footsteps of Khabib Nurmagomedov. Makhachev was seen breaking down some of his go-to grappling moves in a video uploaded to the YouTube channel Smesh Bros.
The Dagestani fighter revealed that he prefers sweeping and tripping his opponents, which he picked up during his combat sambo days. According to Makhachev, these manoeuvers are more efficient and take less energy than conventional moves like a single-leg takedown. The 30-year old said while providing a demo:
"I like to do sweeps and trips in a standing position. Because it's efficient and I don't waste a lot of energy for a takedown. I also like to do inside and outside trips by the cage. These are all the moves that I learned in sambo... I like to pin my opponents against the cage, control the wrists and then sweep... If the opponent is resisting that you can just go to the other direction. I feel like these moves are very efficient and they don't require a lot of energy. Compare it to a single leg, for example. It takes a lot of energy to complete the takedown. But with sweeps and trips it's way easier." [translation by Smesh Bros]
The surging lightweight contender also revealed that he looks for an arm-bar submission whenever he enters the octagon. Additionally, he pointed out the possible consequences of not tapping to a submission move.
Watch Makhachev break down some of his moves below:
Islam Makhachev likely to face Beneil Dariush next in potential high-level grappling chess match
Islam Makhachev is currently riding a stellar ten-fight winning streak that saw him rapidly rise to contender status at 155lbs. In his last UFC outing, Makhachev was scheduled to fight Beneil Dariush, with the winner likely to fight for the title next.
However, Dariush had to pull out due to a freak injury and was replaced by Bobby Green, who is unranked at lightweight. Makhachev pulled off a first-round TKO win over Green and is rallying for a title shot next.
However, UFC president Dana White recently revealed that the Dagestani contender will have to go through Dariush to make a bid for UFC gold. Both Dariush and Makhachev have exceptional grappling skills, and the fight has all the makings for a high-level chess match on the mat.
Watch White weigh in on Islam Makhachev's next fight below:
