UFC Legend Explains Islam Makhachev Provides Thrilling Fights but is ‘More Vulnerable’ than Khabib Nurmagomedov

Islam Makhachev is a thrill-seeker. He continues to keep improving, tempting fate with newer techniques and the Dustin Poirier fight at UFC 302 was a testament to that. But former UFC champion Eddie Alvarez feels this makes him more susceptible to getting defeated.

Alvarez, who most recently competed in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship spoke about why Makhachev was more fun to watch compared to ‘The Eagle’. In a recent interview with Ariel Helwani, Alvarez stated,

“Islam is not Khabib he doesn’t fight like Khabib. He takes more chances, he takes more risks, and relies on finishing guys…..So he’s a little bit fun to watch, but he’s more susceptible to getting beat than Khabib was.”

 

According to Eddie Alvarez, Islam Makhachev is more fun to watch than Khabib Nurmagomedov because he goes for the finish. Be it via striking or grappling, he looks to finish the fight.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, on the other hand, would just look to dominate his opponents inside the octagon and never cared if it was a decision victory. Khabib believed in total domination of his opponents throughout the entirety of the fight.

Sometimes, that makes the layman watching UFC feel like nothing is happening. But if they were to ask the men beneath Khabib’s mount if nothing was happening, there might be a very different answer in store for them.

Regardless, Islam is just more aggressive, especially on his feet. His striking continues to improve leaps and bounds as his opponents find out that getting away from his relentless pressure grappling isn’t necessarily enough to escape the boogeyman. Dustin Poirier found that out early in round 1 of their title fight this week.

Meanwhile, another UFC legend, Robert Whitaker was impressed by Islam Makhachev’s performance at UFC 302.

Islam Makhachev is ‘Khabib with hands’, claims Robert Whitaker

Whittaker could not believe what Islam Makhachev did to Dustin Poirier in the octagon on Saturday night. The champ matched Poirier’s boxing, albeit briefly, and continued to pose problems for the challenger on his feet, a previously unseen trait in his style.

In a recent YouTube video, Whittaker spoke about the fight and broke down the fight talking about how dominant the champ was.

“Makhachev is Khabib with better hands and I don’t think any fight proves that more than the last two…He out struck Poirier across five rounds and then got a submission.”

And even though he managed to finish Dustin with a D’Arce choke following some innovative groundwork, the champion’s performance on the feet should put the rest of the division on notice.