Following his decisive first-round knockout victory against Alex Volkanovski in his second bout of 2023, Islam Makhachev emerged as the leading figure in the emerging mixed martial arts scene.
He was missing just one item, the pound-for-pound rating, which meant little to the Russian but mattered to him anyway. The lightweight champion was irritated by it as it belonged to Jon Jones, the greatest in history.
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Islam Makhachev Becomes No. 1 Pound-For-Pound Monarch
Strangely, the UFC revealed its new pound-for-pound rankings two days before UFC 295 in New York. Strange, because it was supposed to be announced after Islam Makhachev defeated Volkanovski or when Jon Jones’ injury became known (approximately eight months after it occurred), the main event taking place in the legendary Madison Square Garden.
In any case, Makhachev comes in first. A student of Khabib Nurmagomedov and his school, superior in the field and possess a more sophisticated striking style than the “Eagle”
He has a 25-1-0 record with one loss early in his career. With three victories in three fights for the lightweight title, he has every right to be regarded as the finest in the world.
In the second round, he defeated Charles Oliveira (UFC 280) by taking advantage of holes in the Brazilian’s strategy.
In a tight call, the Russians prevailed based on the scorecards. Like with Oliveira, his third major match took place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi (UFC 294). ‘Do Bronx’ was supposed to face the Brazilian again, but a wound on his eyebrow prevented him from competing. Volk quickly consented to fight, and the rest of the story is well known.
On the front lines, players like Justin Gaethje and Oliveira are primed to take his title. you could possibly advance to welterweight. The Russian is a powerful fighter who has gained a great deal from the fluid recovery following the weight loss. It wouldn’t be shocking to have him demonstrate his mettle against the newly crowned 170-pound king, who will square off against Colby Covington, the contentious opponent, and Leon Edwards, the reigning champion.
Editors pick
