"He have good boxing and that's it" - Islam Makhachev laughs off Daniel Cormier saying Bobby Green has a "wrestling background"
Islam Makhachev believes he can use his grappling and wrestling to overwhelm Bobby Green.
The Dagestani standout was set to take on Beneil Dariush at UFC Vegas 49 in what many analysts viewed as a potential title eliminator. However, the No.3-ranked lightweight contender was forced to pull out due to an injury and was replaced by Green. 'King' is coming off an impressive win against Nasrat Haqparast at UFC 271.
During a recent episode of the DC & RC show, Islam Makhachev told his AKA colleague Cormier that he wasn't bothered by Bobby Green's wrestling background, saying:
"He have good boxing and that's it."
Makhachev stated that he believes in his abilities and hopes to finish the fight in the first round. He said:
"Yes, I think I'm going to... I hope I'm going to finish him in the first round. I know my grappling skills. I know my wrestling skills. I'm going to take him down, make him a little bit tired and make him tap."
Watch Makhachev's appearance on the DC & RC show:
Khabib Nurmgomedov believes Islam Makhachev won't underestimate Bobby Green
Islam Makhachev is riding a nine-fight win streak following his win over Dan Hooker at UFC 267. The Dagestani phenom is a sizeable betting favorite heading into his clash with Bobby Green. Several analysts feel that this won't be a straightforward outing for the 21-1 fighter.
While previewing the upcoming clash, Khabib Nurmagomedov acknowledged Green's takedown defense and stated that Makhachev won't underestimate him. 'The Eagle' said:
"He's a tough fighter. He's very experienced, he has good takedown defense. Also, he just recently fought, so it's not like they rang him on nine days notice... There will be no underestimating from our side. Islam and I have had long discussions about him, watched his fights. Bobby Green won't be underestimated, because he's a very interesting, psychologically strong, tough fighter."
Watch Nurmagomedov's take on the main event of UFC Vegas 49:
Even though their upcoming clash will take place at a catchweight of 160 lbs, a victory could give Makhachev a crack at the lightweight title due to his winning run. Meanwhile, snapping the Dagestani fighter's streak would arguably be one of the biggest accomplishments of Green's career.