"He had an opponent in McGregor that drew it out of him" - Daniel Cormier compares Islam Makhachev's personality to Khabib Nurmagomedov's and claims it will show itself better in time
Islam Makhachev is on a 10-fight win streak and is gearing up for his first championship bout. Former teammate and double champion Daniel Cormier recently praised the lightweight.
Cormier spoke to Niall McGrath on Talking Brawls and promised MMA fans that Makhachev had a lot more to offer and is only just getting started:
"I still think that the story's not told yet on Islam Makhachev. There's so much more for the world to see in regards to who this kid is. He's a truly special talent. His personality, his overall game. You still haven't seen his overall game because no one's made him use it."
Cormier then compared Makhachev to his mentor and former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He spoke about how Nurmagomedov came into his own at the onset of his fight against Conor McGregor:
"In his personality, you guys have no idea. Khabib didn't come to his own personality-wise until the end. When he was very comfortable speaking in English and he had an opponent in McGregor that drew it out of him to really show the world who he was, like what we see everyday."
Daniel Cormier believes Makhachev will show a similar evolution in his personality in the near future.
Islam Makhachev is set to face Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title
Islam Makhachev's streak of wins has been rewarded with a title shot against former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. The vacant belt will be up for grabs at UFC 280 on a stacked card in Abu Dhabi.
It will be a clash between the two most dominant lightweights right now as both Oliveira and Makhachev are on 11-fight and 10-fight win streaks, respectively. The lead-up to the fight continues to grow more intense with both camps bringing up negotiating troubles and promising emphatic results against the other.
Daniel Cormier backed the Russian and praised his skills in the same video. He mentioned that Makhachev might be more of a technical striker than his predecessor, Nurmagomedov:
"He's been able to take people down and dominate them on the ground. Imagine when Charles Oliveira makes him have to stand and then Islam has to show over an extended period of time how good he is on his feet."
Catch Cormier's full comments on Talking Brawls on YouTube: