Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov are not brothers. But their bond, forged under the legendary Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s wings, is thicker than blood. The Dagestanis are virtual twins in MMA terms, as Makhachev has succeeded ‘The Eagle’ as a great UFC lightweight champion. Not to mention that the Makhachkala native is fast approaching GOAT conversation territory, where Nurmagomedov has already planted his flag.
But that isn’t where their similarities end. Both men have fought some of the same people, like Charles Oliveira and Dustin Poirier. And with Justin Gaethje putting his name in the title hat after the win over Rafael Fiziev last weekend, ‘The Highlight’ may be another opponent the Dagestanis have in common. However, Nurmagomedov and Makhachev’s coach, Javier Mendez, feels that since the two men are different fighters, a Makhachev-Gaethje fight would turn out very differently from ‘The Eagle’s famous fight against the American five years ago, after which he tearfully retired.
“It [a Makhachev vs. Gaethje fight] definitely in my opinion, would play out differently [than the Khabib vs. Gaethje fight] because they’re not the same fighter. They’re not the same fighter. Islam is more well-rounded than Khabib ever was, you know. So Islam is at the point where he’s pound-for-pound number one because he’s well-rounded in all the areas. Khabib was not as well-rounded as Islam is in the striking,” Mendez said in an interview with Submission Radio.
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 25: (L-R) Khabib Nurmagomedov of Russia kicks Justin Gaethje in their lightweight title bout during the UFC 254 event on October 25, 2020 on UFC Fight Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
“Khabib’s attributes was the ground and the submission and how he can smother, and just, you know, make you feel like you you’re you’re trapped and you can never get out. Islam doesn’t have that type of game. He’s got a different type of game. His game is incredible, his submission level, a base more than anything. And as you’ve seen it with all his submissions, you know, it’s different. it’s different, they’re not the same,” the AKA gym head coach added. So how did the Nurmagomedov-Gaethje fight go, and how might the Makhachev fight be different? Let’s discuss this.
Could Islam Makhachev try to strike with Justin Gaethje, unlike Khabib Nurmagomedov?
Justin Gaethje actually did pretty well against Khabib Nurmagomedov in the first round of their UFC 254 clash in 2020. As coach Mendez pointed out, ‘The Eagle’ wasn’t much of a striker. And ‘The Highlight’, who is a pure striker with pretty heavy hands, managed to keep the fight on the feet in the opening round and won it on two of the three judges’ scorecards.
But in the second round, Nurmagomedov quickly took down ‘The Highlight’ and put him in a fatal triangle choke. But Makhachev has developed a much better striker game than his Dagestani former champion friend. This is why Mendez thinks Makhachev testing out his striking against someone of Gaethje’s caliber is “an exciting prospect.”
But will he? Will Makhachev actually strike with Gaethje more than he needs to? Well, it certainly won’t be wise. After all, the best and easiest way to deal with a pure striker like ‘The Highlight’ is to take him down and maul him there, which Makhachev is more than capable of doing. But maybe, just maybe, the reigning Dagestani champ may want to prove a point and indeed try to beat ‘The Highlight’ at his own game. What do you think about Javier Mendez’s take on the differences between Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov?
The post Team Khabib Claims Justin Gaethje vs Islam Makhachev Will Play Out ‘Differently’ Than a Fight With Nurmagomedov appeared first on EssentiallySports.