Islam Makhachev is under pressure at UFC 322, says Daniel Cormier

Daniel Cormier believes UFC star Islam Makhachev is under pressure heading into his UFC 322 main event tomorrow night.

On Saturday, Islam Makhachev will challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the UFC welterweight championship. While many people believe that Islam will win and claim a second world title in a second weight class, this is definitely going to be one of the toughest tests of his career – especially considering he’s making a move up from the lightweight division.

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There’s certainly pressure on Della Maddalena’s shoulders to prove that he is capable of carrying the torch as champion, but in equal measure, Makhachev is taking a big risk by shifting up 15 pounds in weight.

In a recent video, Makhachev’s good friend and former training partner Daniel Cormier gave his thoughts on the pressure Islam faces in New York City.

Cormier believes Makhachev is under pressure at UFC 322

“I mean, you always put the pressure on the champion, right?” Cormier told MMA Junkie Radio. “You’re the one who has the potential to lose the belt. That would be the easy answer. The pressure is on Islam. Islam Makhachev is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. People expect him to win in what is a very difficult fight. This will be the toughest fight of his career, but people expect him still to get the job done.

“That’s where there’s pressure, and you’re the guy who left your belt to go pursue another one. So, pressure is on Islam because going into the fight this weekend, everybody knows he gave up the belt. So in their minds, they still view him as a champion. You go lose to Jack, now for the first time in a really long time, you’re not the champion in any way, shape or form.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie