Islam Makhachev is currently the best pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC and rightfully so. Even as he defends his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, he remains the betting man’s favorite. And while some pundits believe in Poirier, Charles Oliveira believes neither Poirier nor Tsarukyan stand a chance against the champion.
In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Oliveira broke down the landscape of the lightweight division in the UFC. The former champion stated that the fight against Poirier will play out the same way as any other striker taking on Makhachev.
‘Do Bronx’ stated that Poirier has heavy hands and a single punch can change the outcome of any fight. However, he does not believe that other than a lucky shot, Poirier has what it takes to become the champion at 155 pounds in the UFC.
The 34-year-old also broke down Arman Tsarukyan’s chances against the champion. Giving credit where it was due, the former champ said, that since it was an unpredictable sport, anything might happen. But he still had his reservations about any of these guys beating Makhachev.
“Of course, I’ve just said this and I can’t backtrack, we’re talking about MMA and it’s very unpredictable. A guy closes his eyes and throws a hand that lands, you’re knocked out. He throws a kick that lands, you shoot for a takedown and end up in a submission. MMA is unpredictable, but I think Islam is way more experienced, has more focus, more hunger, and is much stronger than Arman.”
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Oliveira isn’t the only one to think so. Even Arman Tsarukyan’s coach had earlier claimed that he was not yet ready to go toe to toe with Islam Makhachev. Tsarukyan might have title ambitions, but Islam Makhachev has bigger plans if he can secure a win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 302.
Islam Makhachev’s grand plans to be thwarted at UFC 304?
It is no secret that Islam Makhachev wants to become a two-division champion in the UFC. He has expressed his interest in doing so on multiple occasions. However, there is a crucial element at play here that might affect his future plans.
If Belal Muhammad beats Leon Edwards at UFC 304, Islam Makhachev will not go up in weight and challenge for the 170-pound title.
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He had earlier stated in an interview about having no interest in fighting his brother. But that doesn’t mean the ambition stops there for Makhachev.
Now, Arman Tsarukyan is next in line for a title shot after Poirier. However, he will have to wait if the champion has conquests on his mind. Tsarukyan will be hoping that Belal Muhammad beats Edwards. However, only time will tell how this scenario plays out and if we will see the crowning of a fifth double-champion in the UFC.
