Following his hard fought win at UFC 302, Islam Makhachev is ready to defend his title in a potential rematch against Arman Tsarukyan. The duo had first fought at a UFC Fight Night back in 2019 and it was a close call for the champ. However, in the rematch, according to Dustin Poirier, an evolved skillset of Islam Makhachev will help him secure a win.
During international fight week festivities, ‘ESPN MMA’ hosted a live show of the Good Guy/Bad Guy featuring Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen and Dustin Poirier.
A fan asked Poirier to make a pick between Islam Makhachev and Arman Tsarukyan as they’re rumored to fight next. Poirier gave the champion his flowers and said that his striking had evolved leaps and bounds and Tsarukyan was going to have a tough night trying to beat him.
The ‘Diamond’ also claimed that if the fight was on the feet, he would bet his money on the Dagestani, regardless of the fight being on the feet or on their backs kissing the floor.
“I think Islam’s striking has really evolved. He has made leaps and bounds with the striking. Arman is going to have a tough time taking him down so I think the fight will be on the feet till Islam decides to take him down. I just think Islam’s striking is a bit more crisp. His boxing is a bit more crisp right now. So if it stays on the feet, I am going Islam. Obviously the grappling, probably Islam, so that is who I would pick.”
During their first encounter, Tsarukyan did a very good job of defending takedowns as he himself is an elite wrestler. However, Makhachev eventually found a way and worked his way to a unanimous decision win.
And now, it seems the Pokemon that is Islam Makhachev, has evolved once again.
Potential rematch between Arman Tsarukyan and Islam Makhachev
Islam has knocked out Alexander Volkanovski with a head kick. In his very next fight he went toe-to-toe with arguably one of the best strikers in the UFC in Dustin Poirier and caught him by surprise.
Makhachev is only getting better as a striker with each passing fight which makes it a scary proposition for his opponents.
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While Tsarukyan said that ‘slow’ Makhachev did not impress him against Poirier, one would be foolish or naive or both to ignore how far the Dagestani fighter has come on his feet. So when the fight does happen, Tsarukyan better bring his A-game because if he doesn’t he ends up becoming another footnote in the chronicles of Makhachev.
