Kevin Holland claims Islam Makhachev certain to win UFC welterweight title in future, calls him "scarier" fight than Khabib Nurmagomedov
Kevin Holland recently made a bold claim regarding Islam Makhachev as he believes that it is inevitable that he will become a two-division UFC champion. He noted that the Dagestani even poses a bigger threat than Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov.
'Trailblazer' clearly holds the reigning lightweight champion in high regard as he believes he would be successful should he decide to move up to 170 pounds. The Dagestani has won 13 consecutive fights, which includes back-to-back title defenses over Alexander Volkanovski.
During his pre-fight media availability ahead of his bout at UFC 302 this Saturday, the 31-year-old heaped praise on the Dagestani for his incredible abilities as a fighter. Holland mentioned that Makhachev's recent performances make him a very difficult opponent to deal with:
"[Makhachev would be] champ, for sure, for sure. I think Khabib [Nurmagomedov] could have did the same thing if he wanted to. So yeah, for sure...And I think Islam's [Makhachev] probably a little bit more scarier to deal with...He knocked out 'Volk'...I don't think an easy person to put away...Scary, scary guy right there."
Check out Kevin Holland's comments regarding Islam Makhachev below:
Kevin Holland heaps praise on Islam Makhachev and Dagestani wrestling
Kevin Holland recently heaped praise on Islam Makhachev and the Dagestani wrestling that he and his teammates are known for.
Although Makhachev would be at a slight size disadvantage against some of the welterweights in the division, the 'Contender Series' alum doesn't believe it would be too much of a problem for him to deal with. During the aforementioned availability, 'Trailblazer' mentioned that he wouldn't be too confident against the Dagestani because his excellent wrestling would be a difference maker. He said:
"I think the way that those guys [Dagestani fighters] grapple over there, I don't think it would matter if you were a heavyweight. When they decide to get you down, they're gonna get you down. They're persistent, they work hard and they're really really good at what they do. And I really suck at wrestling, so I wouldn't want no problems with that guy [Makhachev]."
Check out Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov working on their wrestling below: