Chael Sonnen is the latest in the long list of fighters and experts who believe Islam Makhachev had the toughest fight of his career at UFC 302 and still managed to win. The win was so impressive to Sonnen, that he compared the champ to the UFC greats like Georges St-Pierre.
The UFC often tends to run on hyperbole, so much so that often honest compliments get lost in the winds of promotional events. However, it seems following his third title defense Islam Makhachev is swimming in them.
Ever since he began fighting, Islam Makhachev has always been in the shadow of the great Khabib Nurmagomedov. In a recent episode of The Good Guy/ Bad Guy, Sonnen and DC discussed the champion and the individual qualities that separate him, even making him better than Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Sonnen admits to something scary that comes with the grit Islam showed at UFC 302 and compared him to the likes of GSP, Anderson Silva, and Bj Penn.
“Yes I do Daniel, and it comes from an iron will, it comes from grit….There’s something really quiet frightening about that.”
You would imagine, being the UFC champion, successfully off a title defense, and being compared to Anderson Silva and GSP would automatically put you on the P4P list as the #1.
However, Dana White believes that while Jon Jones is active, that crown belongs to him. Both fans and Islam himself, disagree.
Islam Makhachev claps back at Dana White and Jon Jones via Instagram
Islam Makhachev has made his stance clear on the P4P #1 ranking. He certainly believes he deserves it. In a now-deleted story, the lightweight champion shared a picture of all the opponents he has fought since Jon Jones’ return to the octagon.
Islam Makhachev just posted this on his story
IG / @MAKHACHEVMMA #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/JZcwqHiKRj
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 6, 2024
While Makhachev fought 8 times, Jones only had one fight in the same time period, during which time he was accused of ducking Francis Ngannou as he is now being accused of avoiding interim champion Tom Aspinall like a plague.
Also, since the Gane fight, Jones has not returned to the ring due to injuries. Makhachev, on the other hand, stayed active and defended his belt thrice against the top contenders. This is why a majority of fighters and fans think the champ deserves the #1 spot over ‘Bones’.
