Daniel Cormier compares Islam Makhachev to Khabib Nurmagomedov, explains why 'The Eagle' prevails as "most dominant"
Islam Makhachev matched Khabib Nurmagomedov's lightweight title defense tally at UFC 302. Their close friend and former teammate, Daniel Cormier, believes that there has never been a fighter more dominant than 'The Eagle'.
Earlier this month, Nurmagomedov was in his protege Makhachev's corner, giving counsel to the lightweight kingpin en route to his fifth-round D'Arce choke submission win against Dustin Poirier.
During the bout, Makhachev not only showed his grappling prowess but also proved that he has the skills to stand and trade with the best of the best by outstriking 'The Diamond' in each round.
However, 'DC' believes that 'The Eagle'. who predominately resorted to wrestling to overwhelm his opponents, is a more dominant fighter than his more well-rounded countryman. During a recent segment of the Good Guy / Bad Guy podcast, the former two-division champion stated:
"I was one of the people that said early, and I said I think Islam Makhachev is more dangerous than Khabib because of his striking. But as I reflect on this, as a guy that has been in there with both, I don't know if I'll ever see anyone as dominant as Khabib."
Cormier recalled how at UFC 302, Makhachev vs. Poirier at times looked competitive, while Nurmagomedov dominated most of his fights:
"How often did you see Khabib Nurmagomedov not look outwardly dominant? So when I watch them the dominance is different because Islam will stand with you more than Khabib was willing to. But it was in the idea that you knew exactly what Khabib was going to do to you and nobody could stop it... I dont know that we'll ever see anybody more dominant than him."
Catch Daniel Cormier's comments on Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov below (18:40):
Luke Rockhold on the difference between Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov
Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is Islam Makhachev's American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) teammate.
The 39-year-old has had the pleasure of training with both Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov and considers both men exceptional fighters. However, in an interview with Inside Fighting, Rockhold explained the difference between the two Russians' fighting styles, saying:
"Islam is a little more of a complete striker, [and] Khabib focuses on his ground game more... They are both champions, they are some of the best you've ever seen."
Catch Luke Rockhold's comments below: