Islam Makhachev has been nothing short of dominant in his lightweight title reign. However, not everyone is convinced that Makhachev is untouchable. UFC veteran Beneil Dariush believes BMF champion Max Holloway would be the biggest threat to the Dagestani fighter’s impregnable fortress of title defenses.
Sharing his thoughts on Makhachev’s dominant performance at UFC 311, Dairush claimed that had Arman not pulled out, he could have been the unstoppable force to the champion’s unmovable object. But since Arman is not getting near that title anytime soon, Dariush believes the Holloway could truly overwhelm Makhachev’s senses and get the job done.
“You know who would be interesting would be Max Holloway. Because he is hard to hold, he has excellent cardio, he throws a lot of volume. I think these are things that could be difficult for Makhachev.”
Which fighter has the best chance to dethrone Islam Makhachev?@beneildariush explains why @BlessedMMA presents the most interesting style matchup for the champ
Source: MMA Today w/@RJcliffordMMA & @RyanMcKinnell pic.twitter.com/inEC9YhKhU
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) January 24, 2025
Dariush also pointed out that one of the keys to the Makachev puzzle would be cardio. He cited how Merab used a mixture of pace, pressing, and cardio against Umar Nurmagomedov. He believes a similar strategy might be used against Islam.
Holloway has been a cardio god all his career with multiple fights finishing in the championship rounds and going the distance. He doesn’t slow down in these rounds either and keeps upping the volumes of his punches till the better end.
Dariush makes an interesting case but Holloway plans on taking the scenic route to the top.
Holloway vs Oliveira for BMF
The two former UFC champions first met 10 years ago in a featherweight bout at UFC Fight Night 74, but Charles Oliveira picked up an injury during the fight and the fight had to be stopped in under 2 minutes. Fast forward to today, both fighters have captured UFC gold and now want to slog it out for the BMF title.
During the presser for UFC 311, ‘Do Bronx’ was asked about a potential title rematch against Makhahev. He definitely seemed interested in it but pointed out that since the champion might take a while to return, he would like to take on Holloway first.
Charles Oliveira is down to fight Max Holloway for the BMF belt if Islam Makhachev won’t be available until later in the year
“We’ll have to see when [Islam] will want to come back. If he only wants to fight in October, I definitely want to fight before that, so why not… pic.twitter.com/UzqG57EgfK
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) January 21, 2025
Holloway wasted no time replying on social media, suggesting the showdown would happen during International Fight Week in June.
International Fight Week?
— Max Holloway (@BlessedMMA) January 21, 2025
The history of this title means this will have to be an out-and-out dogfight. But both fighters are fan favorites, so it will be weird for fans to be rooting for one!