Exclusive: PFL's Mohammad Alaqraa shares Islam Makhachev's golden advice on adapting to opponent change, weighs in on UFC P4P debate
Mohammad Alaqraa recently opened up about receiving some crucial advice from Islam Makhachev about dealing with an opponent change ahead of the PFL MENA 3 event. Alaqraa also shared his two cents on the UFC pound-for-pound debate surrounding Jon Jones.
Alaqraa was initially booked to face Badreddine Diani at the PFL MENA 3 fight event on Sept. 20 at the Boulevard City in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. However, it appears Diani was forced to withdraw from the bout, and Alaqraa will be facing a different opponent later this month.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Alaqraa addressed the opponent switch and opened up about receiving some advice from the UFC lightweight champion. He said:
"I remember one time I was talking to Islam Makhachev. He told me, he was like, "Brother, you wanna be the best? You gotta prove [to] whoever [is] in front of you, right?'. So this is my dream, I wanna be the best fighter in the world, and I do believe I'm there... So whoever my opponent is, it doesn't matter because I want to be the best."
Mohammad Alaqraa shares thoughts on the UFC pound-for-pound rankings debate
In the same interview, Mohammad Alaqraa shared his two cents on the debate surrounding the UFC pound-for-pound rankings. The PFL star opined that he backed Islam Makhachev to top the P4P list and explained his reasoning behind rating the Dagestani grappling phenom above Jon Jones.
Speaking to Sportskeeda MMA, Alaqraa pointed out that Makhachev has been more active than Jones and has defended his titles more times than the reigning heavyweight champion. When asked who he considered the pound-for-pound best fighter in the UFC, he replied:
"Islam is my brother, you know? I would say Islam, for sure. How many times did Islam defend his titles this year and last year? He's so active. When did Jon Jones fight? I would say, 'Do you want me to fight once a year and you gonna consider me pound-for-pound [best] fighter or you want [me] to stay active as much as my opponent and show you that I'm the best in my division or all divisions.' I do believe Islam is the pound-for-pound [best] fighter."