'Islam Makhachev is the greatest 155er today' - GSP's coach believes the Dagestani is the 'uncrowned champion' of the UFC lightweight division
UFC Hall of Famer Georges St-Pierre’s coach Firas Zahabi has asserted that Islam Makhachev is the UFC lightweight division’s “uncrowned champion.”
Islam Makhachev is a childhood friend and longtime training partner of former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. In the aftermath of the legendary Nurmagomedov’s retirement from the sport of MMA, many have touted Makhachev as the next dominant force at lightweight.
The Dagestani MMA stalwart fought top-tier UFC lightweight Dan Hooker at UFC 267 last month. The fight witnessed Islam Makhachev dominate ‘The Hangman’ en route to a first-round submission victory.
GIVE THIS MAN HIS RESPECT!!!
@MakhachevMMA with the round 1️⃣ kimura.
[ #UFC267 | Tune in LIVE on @ESPNPlus | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] https://t.co/DP6S7EPRYc
The world-renowned Tristar Gym’s Firas Zahabi addressed this during a Q&A session on his YouTube channel. In regards to Islam Makhachev’s outstanding performance at UFC 267, Firas Zahabi stated:
“I thought it was phenomenal.” Zahabi continued, “Islam Makhachev, in my opinion, is the greatest 155 fighter today. He’s the uncrowned champion. Islam Makhachev, in my opinion, is the uncrowned champion in the UFC’s 155 division.”
You can watch Firas Zahabi put forth his opinion regarding Islam Makhachev in the video below:
Islam Makhachev and Justin Gaethje are the frontrunners for a UFC lightweight title shot in 2022
Presently, reigning UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is set to defend his title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 269 on December 11th. The consensus is that either Islam Makhachev or Justin Gaethje will most likely get to face the winner of the Oliveira-Poirier matchup for the UFC lightweight title in 2022.
Islam Makhachev is ranked No. 4, whereas Justin Gaethje is ranked No. 2 in the UFC lightweight division. Makhachev displayed dominance in his one-sided win at UFC 267. Meanwhile, Gaethje secured a thrilling and hard-fought unanimous decision win over Michael Chandler at UFC 268 earlier this month.
Many in the MMA community – including Islam Makhachev’s teammate and UFC legend Daniel Cormier – have called for Gaethje to be accorded the next title shot. In a video posted to his YouTube channel, Cormier stated:
“He went out there and did what he had to do in order to ensure that he keeps his championship fight. Because, he fought Michael Chandler and beat Michael Chandler; a very trained, well-prepared Michael Chandler. So, hats off to Justin Gaethje. And honestly, I believe that he will be the guy that fights for the belt next. Islam will have to fight again. And that’s okay because I believe that Islam is going to be able to handle just about any challenges in front of him – You have to, right? If you’re going to be the champ, you have to.”
Watch DC’s statements regarding Islam Makhachev, Justin Gaethje, and more in the video below:
The coming weeks are believed to be crucial in unraveling whether Islam Makhachev or Justin Gaethje receives the next shot at the coveted undisputed UFC lightweight title.