"I feel really bad for Islam Makhachev" - Khabib Nurmagomedov on people trying to match him up against Charles Oliveira
Khabib Nurmagomedov has stated that calls for him to come out of retirement and fight Charles Oliveira are disrespectful to Islam Makhachev. Nurmagomedov reiterated that Makhachev's skills in the octagon are well deserving of a fight against former champion Oliveira.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, 'The Eagle' detailed exactly why he feels "bad" for Islam Makhachev:
"My reaction is I feel bad. I feel really bad for Islam Makhachev. You know why? This guy, he hasn't lost in more than seven years. He has a 10 win streak in the lightweight division. Not only win streak, he dominates. In the last 11 months, he has finished four opponents. The UFC have to pay more attention to this guy. I feel bad because the last one-and-half to two years, I feel that Islam is the best lightweight in the world."
Islam Makhachev (22-1) made his UFC debut in 2015. The Russian fighter was knocked out by Adriano Martins in his second fight. Since then, he has looked unstoppable in the cage. Makhachev is on the second longest win streak in the division (10) behind Charles Oliveira (11).
Regarded by many as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, Nurmagomedov believes that Makhachev could even surpass him:
"He [Makhachev] is the most complete fighter in MMA today. Who's more complete than Islam? Charles Oliveira? He gets knocked down in every fight. Volkanovski? He doesn't wrestle and grapple like Islam... Islam has every way. Punching, kicking, knees, grappling. He can do it all... It's definitely possible for him to be better than me."
Watch the full interview with Khabib Nurmagomedov on TMZ Sports here:
Khabib Nurmagomedov's influence on MMA is due to his honesty, says Ali Abdelaziz
MMA manager Ali Abdelaziz believes that Khabib Nurmagomedov's continued influence in the world of MMA is due to his raw honesty. Abdelaziz has compared the former champion to Jake Paul, stating that their biggest difference is that 'The Problem Child' is fake.
Abdelaziz referred to Paul's use of dramatic call-outs on social media as a way to generate fight interest. In an interview with ESPN MMA, the Dominance MMA founder said that fans of Nurmagomedov don't need to be convinced because they can trust what he says:
"It's not about clout. I think it's because he's so truthful and he means everything he says. He doesn't just say things for hype, like Jake Paul and these fake guys."
Nurmagomedov is currently campaigning for the UFC to book a title fight between friend and protege Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira. Fans will know that his belief in Makhachev is the ultimate appraisal.
Watch Ali Abdelaziz discuss Khabib Nurmagomedov on ESPN MMA here: