Eye pokes in MMA fights have been a pestilence in this industry. Thankfully, Dana White has taken cognizance of the matter and the UFC has now introduced new gloves designed to reduce the possibility of an eye poke. Lightweight champion Islam Makhachev shared his experience using the gloves for the first time as he prepares for his third title defense.
Makhachev wore the golden gloves meant for champions and tried to punch his manager Ali Abdelaziz. He then went on to ask Abdelaziz if the punch hurt. The two men chuckled before Makhachev shared another image of him wearing the glove.
Accidental eye pokes delay fights significantly. In other instances, fights have to be called off altogether due to the severity of the eye poke. Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad is a prime example of the same. The new gloves introduced by the UFC are said to be designed so that the fingers are tucked and not allowed to be completely straight. The promotion hopes this will significantly reduce the eye pokes occurring in the sport.
The promotion has designed gloves in two colors, black for regular fighters, and gold for the ones carrying the UFC gold.
But this new gold isn’t what Makhachev is focused on, right now. His eyes have been on the Diamond since he beat Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 299. Makhachev is currently less than a month away from his showdown with Dustin Poirier at UFC 302.
Islam Makhachev showing off the new UFC champion gloves on Instagram pic.twitter.com/34ooKOkZ4D
— mma casual (@mmafanatixzx) May 7, 2024
But what happens after UFC 302? What happens if he beats Dustin Poirier? Does he then move up a weight class and do what Khabib Nurmagomedov never did?
Islam Makhachev to move up in weight after UFC 302?
It is no secret that Islam Makhachev is chasing double champion status. Achieving double champion status will make him one of just six people in the UFC to do so.
In addition to this, it will also help him forge his own legacy and emerge from under Khabib Nurmagomedov’s shadow. As a matter of fact, Islam Makhachev had offered a fight against Leon Edwards at UFC 300. However, he turned it down as he did not want to fight during the holy month of Ramadan.
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There is a strong chance that if Islam Makhachev emerges victorious at UFC 302 against Poirier, he will pursue his double-champion ambitions once more. His friend, The Eagle is the most dominant UFC star of all time. However, there is still a debate if he’s the GOAT.
And one of the reasons people refuse to bestow him that crown is because he never changed his weight class and fought for other titles. Maybe, Islam Makhachev will change that.
