Khabib Nurmagomedov gives his thoughts on most competitive title fight for Islam Makhachev
Khabib Nurmagomedov has given his thoughts on who Islam Makhachev’s most competitive fight could be at lightweight.
Right now, it’s hard to argue against Islam Makhachev being the best fighter in the UFC – and all of mixed martial arts. He has an incredible resume, he’s beaten some elite names, and he is the reigning UFC lightweight champion. You may not be a big fan of his style in comparison to others, but nobody can deny the body of work that he’s put together.
RELATED: Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why Islam Makhachev doesn’t want to fight Ilia Topuria
So, of course, that raises questions regarding who he should fight next. Makhachev has already battled it out with so many top guys but there are definitely a handful of fighters who could cause him problems. Ilia Topuria is the most obvious name that currently jumps off the page, but another is Arman Tsarukyan, who had to pull out of their scheduled UFC 311 fight due to a last-minute injury.
Everyone is always going to have a different opinion when it comes to matters like this. In reality, though, it only matters what those close to Makhachev think. With that being said, let’s have a look at what Khabib Nurmagomedov makes of the division.
Khabib’s view on Makhachev’s toughest possible fight
“My personal opinion — not necessarily [more] dangerous, let’s say more competitive — I think it’s [Arman] Tsarukyan,” Nurmagomedov said of Makhachev’s next potential fight. “I think Arman is a more serious fighter than Topuria. Topuria is a good fighter at 145 but we haven’t seen him at 155. I believe Arman is more competitive for Islam than Topuria.
“I don’t know what kind of agreements Topuria and the UFC had, but from Islam’s side, he already gave two title shots to 145 champions,” Nurmagomedov continued. “Both times Islam won. Now a third time — OK, let’s imagine Topuria moves up and gets a title shot right away, Islam beats him, then Topuria fights again, he loses again. So basically [a] nobody at 155.”
Quotes via MMA Fighting
Do you agree with Khabib Nurmagomedov? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!
