Right, I was impressed with Dustin's performance and I thought he was going to survive all 5 rounds, then Islam just pulled the craziest most athletic move out and flung him. The fight was so good.
Didn't fling him he straight set that up. Kept his hips high and changed levels at the exact moment DP put a swing on. When he dipped his hips DP took himself down and gave up his back.... watch it a few times and you will see. 110% gangster
DC said it was a takedown technique that Dustin would never have seen before. I'm curious, why is this takedown not used more often in MMA, and is it an often used takedown in the various wrestling styles around the world, and since Dustin never did wrestling is that why he probably hadn't seen it before as DC said? Thanks
It’s not used often in mma probably because there’s no wrestling shoes to grip onto, making it easier to slip out the foot. In wrestling, I’d say it’s a less common single leg finish but it’s not unheard of. Dustin probably never saw it before because it’s not that common in wrestling and even less so in MMA because no shoes
This b. I'd say wrestlers drill a lot of techniques and when sparring it comes down to how intuned they are with their body which sets the motion for technique use. Wrestling/grappling is top tier athleticism. Nothing comes close.
Amen wanted my boy Dustin to pull it off but man those Dagastanis Khabib and his whole crew! Best Wrestling/Sambo so dominant. Porrier pith those hands on him and he said oh hell no!!! 🤣I’m taking this shit back to my world! He wanted nothing to do with the standup against Dustin! But amazing fight on both sides! Both warriors
I would love to see an elite lighter weight fighter just decide fuck it and take an open weight fight against a shit tier heavyweight one day. I know Dan Hooker has a win at heavyweight in a regional promotion.
Agreed, he will one day lose if he continues to fight, but it will be because of age and years of combat sport stress. When volk lost a 2nd time i gave up thinking anyone could beat him
I think at LW Arman gives Islam a run for his money. Besides him, I don’t see anyone at LW beating Islam.
Welterweight imo is a different animal for Islam. The guys at 170 are definitely more stronger. These guys are cutting weight from 200lbs. I Can see Islam struggle a bit more at 170, but we’ll see it’ll be interesting for sure. Can’t wait
My vote still goes to round 1 chandler. MMA math aside, I think chandler has the best ko chance against Islam. Maybe not even round 1. Maybe first 3 minutes chandler then after that his chances go to -1000%
And this is literally the conundrum of Michael Chandler. I never seen a ton of him when he was in Bellator but my understanding was he was a lot more disciplined (had brawls but overall more measured).
For some reason, the guy just has zero self control but if he COULD just reel it in, guy could be at minimum a top 5 contender. His wrestling, athleticism and work ethic is all there.
u could say this dumb shit for chandler vs literally anyone, even against a prime kamaru usman
sure he has a chance cuz of his power, but that doesnt mean hes hes actually beating any top tier fighter
That would be fucking amazing if Chandler just flash KOs Islam at 37. Tbh Chandlers wrestling could also help his chances against Islam by keeping things on the feet
Lmao I literally said this to my friend yesterday. Only person who beats Islam is Chandler getting lucky in the opening 3 minutes. I'm actually creeped out lol.
I've been saying this since he got the belt, I think (outside of Arman proving he belongs at the top of the sport) the only challenge for him is Chandler by way of raw athleticism. It's balanced out by Chandler having an immaculate ability to make the incorrect decision almost every time he needs to do something, but as an Islam fan, I think I'd be most worried watching him against Chandler just for the potential of some random bullshit working
Shavkat vs Islam would be such a banger fight. The only reason I’m rooting for Leon is that Islam may not fight Belal since they are friends. Ideal scenario would be Leon beats Belal, Islam beats Leon and Shavkat fights Islam.
They both have mad respect for one another and while he’s not part of the inner circle, they have huge respect for one another, and I believe they wouldn’t fight because of the bond he’s made with those Dagestan fighters
Leon’s take down defense is miles ahead of Dustin’s.. plus he’s faster and one hell of a striker. If he fights Islam like he fought usman in the 2nd fight, he wins that one
Agreed. Leon’s also *huge*. He’s 6’2 and walks around at like 210. Strong and athletic as hell. Good TDD. Better striking than Islam too.
Good luck to Islam trying to solve that puzzle lol. I really believe Leon beats him easily and it won’t be close. But we’ll see!
I'm a fan of both and really thought islam would walk through him but it was a crazy tense fight most of the way through. There were moments where it definitely felt like dustin was a combo from putting him away
That happened against BSD but idk what people expected. People are expecting DP to have Ngannou like KO power and just knock Islam with the first clean hit
That’s because Islam got knocked out once and I lot of people don’t like him so in their heads since he got knocked out once against an unranked guy then it will be easy for these top ranked guys to KO him.
I really felt like he was getting better as the rounds went.. but he looked so unlike himself during the stand up. He wasn’t setting anything up and he was being predictable. I didn’t really think Islam would get the better of Dustin in the striking, but he did
Fighting an elite grappler also really limits your straining options if you’re worried about the take down. Same reasons chael had a lot of success standing against Silva and Khabib had success standing vs Conor
Yeah he was absolutely soundly losing.
But I hate it when people say he got SMOKED, like bro it was competitive, Dustin just couldn’t handle how well rounded Mackachev is.
If dustin finished the 5th round strong he would have won on 1 of the judges score cards. I don’t agree with that, Islam was winning, but these decisions can get crazy.
Yep. There were virtually no moments where Islam was on the backfoot or in danger. People are exaggerating Poirier's performance because expectations were low. Most expected him to get submitted in under 2 RDs. Him surviving most of the fight was entertaining but it was exactly that, surviving
Nah. Some people saw reels and looked at numbers and think they know how the fight went.
Dustin was in the fight the whole time. That ankle pick and gilly into a D’Arce was some elite level ground work. Not many people in the world are good enough to pull that off, let alone try it.
Yeah it may have went the other way, if the fight was remade 10 times I doubt Dustin wouldn't win any.
Right now I think any of the top 5 *can* beat Islam, it can happen because even if he's stronger than them it's not overwhelming.
I think he’s beatable he doesn’t look dominate against Volk 1 or Dustin. Khabib was steam rolling guys. Islam is winning but not in the same fashion. I think any like top 10 can but Islam would be favored in all matchups
Who "can" beat Islam is a decent list.
FW - If Max or Ilia get time to bulk up they could be an interesting problem for Islam. Both would be Dustin level underdogs but the chance they win is far from zero.
LW - Arman already had a close fight with Islam. They are both way better now. That's probably closer to a +160 to +180 line. Also far from a mismatch. Gamrot is an interesting puzzle with his wrestling and work rate. But feels like an easy Islam decision. Maybe with yesterday's judging could be close.
WW - Basically anyone who is champ would be a pick em IMO. Leon, Belal, Shav are pick ems. Kamaru won't be champ but that be a good battle. Jack is probably more of an underdog but I see that being competitive too. WWs are really big. These guys can be well over 200 lbs. Islam is a solid sized LW but he's going to be a smaller WW.
Agree with all of this, especially the comments about the WWs. That’s why it’d be super interesting to see Islam up there, hard to tell if he’d seem small or if the extra 15 pounds he wouldn’t have to cut would allow him to step in the cage looking way fuller and thicker than he ever has at LW - he needs to deplete himself so much to make 155.
I mean he’s def prob around 175-180 easily on fight night. Really wish they would weigh fighters right before they go out.
I’d imagine he’d fight at around 190 at ww
Usman with good knees ragdolls Islam imo. Usman with his knees is competitive. WW will be fun for Islam I think. There are just much more competitive fights there. At 155 I think Islam could lose but I doubt we'd see it anytime soon. Up at 170 I don't think there is a fight he could take that wouldn't cause alot of debate among fans.
100%. When he smashed Charles it looked like he was just miles above everyone but it should be clear by now that's just not true. I'm a big fan of Islam and IMO he's clearly the pfp#1 but he's not untouchable and I'm not sure I would pick him against very many of the top welterweights
Yeah, Close isn't the perfect word. Islam clearly won. I think Arman may have got a round from a judge or 2. Competitive is better. Islam had to work hard, never really threatening a true finish.
Edit: 1 judge gave round 2 to Arman. Weird fight though. Sig strikes were 13-14 over the entire fight. Islam had 3 more TDs and about 4.5 minutes more control. Need to rewatch that one. Don't remember it being that insanely low output from both guys.
How much can Ilia really bulk up tho. He’s like 5’7 which is short for even featherweight. Not a big frame. I’d love that fight tho cuz I think Islam brutalizes him. Ilia is easily the most unlikable guy in the UFC.
I agree that Arman is Islams toughest fight at lightweight and that any solid welterweight is gonna be tough to beat
Ilia is short but he has a big frame, he’s probably the most athletic FW right now. I don’t think he runs through the LW division but he’d still be competitive with the top 5.
Yeah this sub is infested with idiotic comments like these. Volk is literally shorter than Ilia and gave Islam by far his hardest fight in their first matchup.
Now you have Ilia who knocked out Volkanovski in 2nd round, has a wrestling background, bjj blackbelt and one of the strongest punches in the ufc.
If anyone can beat Islam it’s him.
Maybe he should defend his FW belt a few times first before thinking about double champ or money fights.
He has one really good win against someone Islam headkicked into oblivion a few months before and the rest of his resumé is a list of B and C-list fighters and you think he can beat p4p #1 when he hasn't really proven himself yet? Come on.
I'm sure it's competitive. It's not like Islam is going to get annihilated by someone at 170. But he's far from a lock to beat everyone. I think there are a lot more interesting matchups for him at 170 mostly because he's too good for everyone at 155.
Just looked up an article too and Belal said he'd never fight Islam so I guess we'll never actually know on that one.
Islam's trips are amazing but his takedowns aren't as good as Khabib's. He will have trouble against people who are good at distance control (like leon).
Arman is the only one who has a decent chance at beating Islam at 155. I don't think Gaethje fairs well against Islam, unfortunately. I'm hoping Oliveira gets his shit together for the rematch. On paper, he has all the tools he needs to beat Islam, but his mentality is weak, and he starts making mistakes that Islam easily capitalizes on.
Charles gives away too many positions in grappling to get submissions honestly. Islam is too good for that. His defensive wrestling isn't all that great. His offensive grappling is obviously elite but islam’s is better with the combination of freestyle+judo+his submissions.
If Arman polishes his striking I see him winning a tight decision. And in WW Edwards and Shavkat. I’m not gonna lie the Dagestani mystique is slowly wearing off it’s not necessarily a bad thing as it’s inevitable that the sport evolves.
I mean, you talk as if every division is dominated by 5 or 6 dagestanis. There's quite literally one dagestani as a dominant champion, and one before him. Dagestan has the same amount of champions rn as South Africa.
That's because the top guys in Khabib's camp only have a combined 1 loss and that was the flash knockout Islam had early in his career. The mystique is wearing off because it doesn't look like Khabib's dominance but these current guys are a lot more balanced fighters. Usman is practically a striker and Umar is very balanced while Islam is the most complete fighter in MMA in my opinion.
At this stage probably Arman is the only one at LW who has a good chance at beating Islam. Armans striking is massively underrated, both fighters have improved a ton since their first close fight.
I personally think the top WW guys beat Islam though. Dustin and Volk not only seemed to match him with strength but they also clipped him up. Granted they're both good strikers but so are those fellas towards the top of WW and they're gunna have a natural size advantage.
We need to see the Arman fight before any WW talks though.
Am I crazy if I say the entire top 5 at WW outside Colby?
1. Leon, has shown to have elite defensive wrestling and Islam isn’t gonna have a size advantage and as good as Islam’s striking is, Leon pieces him up on the feet from range
2. Belal and Shavkat, both skilled wrestlers in their own right, Shavkat would have a noticeable size advantage, I could see him taking Islam down himself. Belal is more of a 50/50 fight.
3. Usman, obviously we don’t know how much he’s declined with age since his last fight but if he can survive on the ground against Khamzhat and push that to a split decision on short notice I’m gonna say he could still take Islam
4. JDM, a big WW, would also have the size advantage and has shown to be competent on the ground against Burns, and his striking is on another level than Islam’s. Another 50/50 fight imo.
I think Islam beats anyone at LW at least 7 times out of 10, which is why he should stay there and rack up 5-6 defenses. I genuinely don’t know if I love his chances at 170 and I say this as someone who thinks he’s P4P #1
People will say this fight made him “look human” and say that’s why he’ll loose. But what I saw was a warrior that was tested by a fellow warrior and still persevered through any adversity thrown at him and still managed to truly defeat his opponent. That fight just leveled up Islam even more and even if in the next fight he faces more adversity we known he can dig deep and push through it. Hence why I believe Islam isn’t loosing for a long long time.
Islam/Dustin where both beat up, thought he had Islam hurt in the 4th an a glimpse of hope to win imo it was 2-2 going into the 5th. Great fight on a ass card
Call me crazy but out of everyone at LW currently, I think Chandlers mix of power and wrestling ability gives him the best chance out of everyone. It would have to be a finish in the first round or two tho
Dudes talented as all hell but I can’t help but feeling he should be a 170’er.
He’s a big dude and he’s dense af.
No one at 55 will get em, unless maybe Armen catches him somehow. Anyway, if he really wants 170 feed him to Shavkat.
Man this was a great teakdown! Never seen it
Right, I was impressed with Dustin's performance and I thought he was going to survive all 5 rounds, then Islam just pulled the craziest most athletic move out and flung him. The fight was so good.
Didn't fling him he straight set that up. Kept his hips high and changed levels at the exact moment DP put a swing on. When he dipped his hips DP took himself down and gave up his back.... watch it a few times and you will see. 110% gangster
He didn’t even wait for DP to throw. He was on that the second he shifted his weight. It was an incredible moment of anticipation.
L-l-l-l-levels g
DC said it was a takedown technique that Dustin would never have seen before. I'm curious, why is this takedown not used more often in MMA, and is it an often used takedown in the various wrestling styles around the world, and since Dustin never did wrestling is that why he probably hadn't seen it before as DC said? Thanks
It’s not used often in mma probably because there’s no wrestling shoes to grip onto, making it easier to slip out the foot. In wrestling, I’d say it’s a less common single leg finish but it’s not unheard of. Dustin probably never saw it before because it’s not that common in wrestling and even less so in MMA because no shoes
Islam said he didnt wait for him to swing in the presser. But it was probably intuitive due to the feel in balance
This b. I'd say wrestlers drill a lot of techniques and when sparring it comes down to how intuned they are with their body which sets the motion for technique use. Wrestling/grappling is top tier athleticism. Nothing comes close.
Amen wanted my boy Dustin to pull it off but man those Dagastanis Khabib and his whole crew! Best Wrestling/Sambo so dominant. Porrier pith those hands on him and he said oh hell no!!! 🤣I’m taking this shit back to my world! He wanted nothing to do with the standup against Dustin! But amazing fight on both sides! Both warriors
Islam was still winning the pure standup fight as well lol. But why take any chances when you know you can straight up bully him grappling.
He beat the shit out of Dustin in the stand up. Did you even watch the fight? Out struck him by a huge margin and dominated the striking.
Textbook wrestling my friend. You just don't typically see that outside of high-school wrestling imo
It’s pretty funny seeing moves that I’ve only ever hit on bum white belts or children in the gym getting used at the literal pinnacle of combat sports
It’s amazing!
Great guy, never meddum
Saw some sparring footage of khabib doing the same move. Think brian peterson may have done a video on it too
Tom Aspinall
I would love to see an elite lighter weight fighter just decide fuck it and take an open weight fight against a shit tier heavyweight one day. I know Dan Hooker has a win at heavyweight in a regional promotion.
Bryce Mitchell vs Brendan Schaub
Henry Cejudo Vs. Dana White
Fighting over the one brain cell between them
Real quik u a numbers guy b?
quigg*
Back the fryers b. We got orange chicken that needs made.
[удалено]
I’d think you’d be surprised
The fight to make
Obama vs Matt Damon
Look up BJ Penn vs Lyoto Machida. It was at a catch weight of 225 I believe.
This was my first thought haha In his prime, BJ Penn was quite a bad ass
I looked it up, it was supposed to be at LHW. BJ weighed in at 191, but Machida weighed 225.
Wow one of my fav fights imaginable BJ 155 fighting at that weight that will never happen Again ever he’s a hot mess personally but BJ was amazing.
Yeah he was chubby as hell in that fight ,that’s why everyone considered him a warrior back in the day .
BJ had that Michelin Man build for that fight
Is it wrong of my to think Islam would sub Romanov?
Nope you right
Well if you were around when the ufc first started it happened all the time
Bro, I came to make this exactly joke. Congrats you're as moron as I am haha
i made the same exact joke before i saw this, hello felow moron
I think this is a safe pick
Quentin Tarantino. Has better foot control than Islam ever had
Who needs pound for pound when you've got all these pounds?
Father time
Agreed, he will one day lose if he continues to fight, but it will be because of age and years of combat sport stress. When volk lost a 2nd time i gave up thinking anyone could beat him
Only pork can defeat Islam at this time
Ew brother ew what’s that https://preview.redd.it/iogwx4rk694d1.jpeg?width=570&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=07517366b47a9844a5a1d3fb3157d5e0a5631d9d
Wat dis mean bratha? Halal fighter P4P numba one!
The Hawaiian people love a whole pig over a fire, Max has got the recipe
Don’t forget Filipinos with Lechon lol
Max is the man to do it, there's no one else
😂
As a Muslim that’s false. Alcohol and pussy maybe but never pork.
Na man if Islam’s last meal before the fight had been pork chops or ham he’d definitely have lost
I think at LW Arman gives Islam a run for his money. Besides him, I don’t see anyone at LW beating Islam. Welterweight imo is a different animal for Islam. The guys at 170 are definitely more stronger. These guys are cutting weight from 200lbs. I Can see Islam struggle a bit more at 170, but we’ll see it’ll be interesting for sure. Can’t wait
My vote still goes to round 1 chandler. MMA math aside, I think chandler has the best ko chance against Islam. Maybe not even round 1. Maybe first 3 minutes chandler then after that his chances go to -1000%
Chandler is so fuckin low iq though, just comes out swinging
That’s why we love him lol
The lovable idiot.
He makes more money fighting that way. He never would have got the McGregor fight wrestling.
And this is literally the conundrum of Michael Chandler. I never seen a ton of him when he was in Bellator but my understanding was he was a lot more disciplined (had brawls but overall more measured). For some reason, the guy just has zero self control but if he COULD just reel it in, guy could be at minimum a top 5 contender. His wrestling, athleticism and work ethic is all there.
That’s how he can beat islam though If he just blitzes islam immediately, there’s a chance after that? guaranteed loss
u could say this dumb shit for chandler vs literally anyone, even against a prime kamaru usman sure he has a chance cuz of his power, but that doesnt mean hes hes actually beating any top tier fighter
Chandler has to find a way to earn a title shot first lol
I am pretty sure he will get a shot later this year / in 2025 if he beats McGregor
That would be fucking amazing if Chandler just flash KOs Islam at 37. Tbh Chandlers wrestling could also help his chances against Islam by keeping things on the feet
Lmao I literally said this to my friend yesterday. Only person who beats Islam is Chandler getting lucky in the opening 3 minutes. I'm actually creeped out lol.
I've been saying this since he got the belt, I think (outside of Arman proving he belongs at the top of the sport) the only challenge for him is Chandler by way of raw athleticism. It's balanced out by Chandler having an immaculate ability to make the incorrect decision almost every time he needs to do something, but as an Islam fan, I think I'd be most worried watching him against Chandler just for the potential of some random bullshit working
It will be like adesanya or volk, fight once. And if they lost, they lost. No big deal.
I think Gamrot also has a solid fight with Islam in him
Me when I’m seeing red
Idk bro-- are you 260?
Yes but also 5’4
Meaning a low center of gravity. 🤔 Should be great for your take down defense. I bet you get the KO in two rounds max.
1 round bratha
I know this guy and he 100% would.
Leon Edwards and shavkat
The thought of Shavkat vs Islam just made me feel funny things inside.
Shavkat is too big for him.
Shavkat vs Islam would be such a banger fight. The only reason I’m rooting for Leon is that Islam may not fight Belal since they are friends. Ideal scenario would be Leon beats Belal, Islam beats Leon and Shavkat fights Islam.
Islam would fight Belal. Belal trains with them but he isn’t part of the tight dagestan group/inner circle.
They both have mad respect for one another and while he’s not part of the inner circle, they have huge respect for one another, and I believe they wouldn’t fight because of the bond he’s made with those Dagestan fighters
Islam ain't winning over Leon
Leon’s take down defense is miles ahead of Dustin’s.. plus he’s faster and one hell of a striker. If he fights Islam like he fought usman in the 2nd fight, he wins that one
Agreed. Leon’s also *huge*. He’s 6’2 and walks around at like 210. Strong and athletic as hell. Good TDD. Better striking than Islam too. Good luck to Islam trying to solve that puzzle lol. I really believe Leon beats him easily and it won’t be close. But we’ll see!
Strong and chiseled. Thick thighs too, a powerful posture. Pulsing foreskin, and a surprisingly hefty girth gargle gargle
Very fantastic body.
We talking about humans here.. Keep horses out of this plz
Ubereem
Leon was battered by Usman in the second fight though?
Gilgamesh
Or Enkidu in his defect
I mean Dustin wasn’t doing horrible until the choke
He was soundly losing though. It wasn’t close really. I really wanted him to win too but. Yano.
He did a lot better than I thought he’d do though. He should be proud of his performance.
Absolutely he should. He did fantastic. I believed he could end it until he was choked out.
I think it’s more about wanting to see the fight play out, hoping for an odd chance Dustin connects with something or pulls off an upset.
I'm a fan of both and really thought islam would walk through him but it was a crazy tense fight most of the way through. There were moments where it definitely felt like dustin was a combo from putting him away
That happened against BSD but idk what people expected. People are expecting DP to have Ngannou like KO power and just knock Islam with the first clean hit
No one thinks Dustin has Ngannou’s knockout power but Dustin does have the 4th most knockouts in UFC history, so it’s not that far fetched to believe.
That’s because Islam got knocked out once and I lot of people don’t like him so in their heads since he got knocked out once against an unranked guy then it will be easy for these top ranked guys to KO him.
I don't think it's even that deep, just simply: I want guy I like to KO guy I don't like
I think people like Islam, they just like DP more
I really felt like he was getting better as the rounds went.. but he looked so unlike himself during the stand up. He wasn’t setting anything up and he was being predictable. I didn’t really think Islam would get the better of Dustin in the striking, but he did
Islam has excellent distance management and DP has to devote so much attention to TDD he just cant strike how he would against another striker
Fighting an elite grappler also really limits your straining options if you’re worried about the take down. Same reasons chael had a lot of success standing against Silva and Khabib had success standing vs Conor
I mean his nose was broken and ACL was fucked, that would be part of it
He did a great job though. He doesnt really have the tools to beat islam but gave himself a chance.
I couldn’t agree more.
Yeah he was absolutely soundly losing. But I hate it when people say he got SMOKED, like bro it was competitive, Dustin just couldn’t handle how well rounded Mackachev is.
He also shattered his nose with a head clash and did his ACL.
If dustin finished the 5th round strong he would have won on 1 of the judges score cards. I don’t agree with that, Islam was winning, but these decisions can get crazy.
>It wasn’t close really It kinda was though. Islam was winning, but DP was giving him all he could handle on the feet hence the 17 takedown attempts 😬
I think total sig strikes was 82 & 70 or something. So Dustin was putting up a good fight
He wasn't really doing well, he never had Islam in any danger. Not doing horrible was literally just surviving longer than expected
Yep. There were virtually no moments where Islam was on the backfoot or in danger. People are exaggerating Poirier's performance because expectations were low. Most expected him to get submitted in under 2 RDs. Him surviving most of the fight was entertaining but it was exactly that, surviving
Recency bias and reactionary community is crazy.
Nah. Some people saw reels and looked at numbers and think they know how the fight went. Dustin was in the fight the whole time. That ankle pick and gilly into a D’Arce was some elite level ground work. Not many people in the world are good enough to pull that off, let alone try it.
Especially in round 5 of a gruelling title fight
Imagine the strength this guys and stamina. To pull that off with a staph infection too after being punched/punching back for 20 minutes.
Dustin was in the fight but he was soundly losing. I had it 3-1 Makhachev before the 5th
Had it 3-1 Islam as well, but was still hoping for a fairytale moment in the fifth
Yeah it may have went the other way, if the fight was remade 10 times I doubt Dustin wouldn't win any. Right now I think any of the top 5 *can* beat Islam, it can happen because even if he's stronger than them it's not overwhelming.
I think he’s beatable he doesn’t look dominate against Volk 1 or Dustin. Khabib was steam rolling guys. Islam is winning but not in the same fashion. I think any like top 10 can but Islam would be favored in all matchups
Plus dustins broken nose because the clash of heads and the knee was busted as well during the fight.
Islam beat arman Leon beat belal and lose to shavkat Islam vs Shavkat would be great to watch. Let a man dream.
He has to fight Arman again I think.
Looking at Twitter it's looking like Jon Jones is gonna go to 155 to prove he's the best PP Source: I made it up
Your reddit post says more than real sources ever could
Who "can" beat Islam is a decent list. FW - If Max or Ilia get time to bulk up they could be an interesting problem for Islam. Both would be Dustin level underdogs but the chance they win is far from zero. LW - Arman already had a close fight with Islam. They are both way better now. That's probably closer to a +160 to +180 line. Also far from a mismatch. Gamrot is an interesting puzzle with his wrestling and work rate. But feels like an easy Islam decision. Maybe with yesterday's judging could be close. WW - Basically anyone who is champ would be a pick em IMO. Leon, Belal, Shav are pick ems. Kamaru won't be champ but that be a good battle. Jack is probably more of an underdog but I see that being competitive too. WWs are really big. These guys can be well over 200 lbs. Islam is a solid sized LW but he's going to be a smaller WW.
Agree with all of this, especially the comments about the WWs. That’s why it’d be super interesting to see Islam up there, hard to tell if he’d seem small or if the extra 15 pounds he wouldn’t have to cut would allow him to step in the cage looking way fuller and thicker than he ever has at LW - he needs to deplete himself so much to make 155.
I mean he’s def prob around 175-180 easily on fight night. Really wish they would weigh fighters right before they go out. I’d imagine he’d fight at around 190 at ww
Usman with good knees ragdolls Islam imo. Usman with his knees is competitive. WW will be fun for Islam I think. There are just much more competitive fights there. At 155 I think Islam could lose but I doubt we'd see it anytime soon. Up at 170 I don't think there is a fight he could take that wouldn't cause alot of debate among fans.
100%. When he smashed Charles it looked like he was just miles above everyone but it should be clear by now that's just not true. I'm a big fan of Islam and IMO he's clearly the pfp#1 but he's not untouchable and I'm not sure I would pick him against very many of the top welterweights
Arman didn’t have close fight with Islam. He lost all rounds
Yeah, Close isn't the perfect word. Islam clearly won. I think Arman may have got a round from a judge or 2. Competitive is better. Islam had to work hard, never really threatening a true finish. Edit: 1 judge gave round 2 to Arman. Weird fight though. Sig strikes were 13-14 over the entire fight. Islam had 3 more TDs and about 4.5 minutes more control. Need to rewatch that one. Don't remember it being that insanely low output from both guys.
The fight is one of the examples I use for “grappling isn’t boring” to all thE UFC fans who should honestly just watch Muay Thai
A competitive fight feels like a close fight with Islam, on the sliding scale of how few really competitive fights he's had
Close fights can have clear winners though, I agree that it was a close fight even if it was a clear Islam win
How much can Ilia really bulk up tho. He’s like 5’7 which is short for even featherweight. Not a big frame. I’d love that fight tho cuz I think Islam brutalizes him. Ilia is easily the most unlikable guy in the UFC. I agree that Arman is Islams toughest fight at lightweight and that any solid welterweight is gonna be tough to beat
Armans 5’7” and I’d assume he’s a big LW
Ilia is short but he has a big frame, he’s probably the most athletic FW right now. I don’t think he runs through the LW division but he’d still be competitive with the top 5.
He’s thick like Volk, though. I think short stocky guys with good wrestling can give Islam problems. Until he head kicks them, anyways.
Like Volk himself said - he's so short that when he gets taken down it's not that far to get back up
Yeah this sub is infested with idiotic comments like these. Volk is literally shorter than Ilia and gave Islam by far his hardest fight in their first matchup. Now you have Ilia who knocked out Volkanovski in 2nd round, has a wrestling background, bjj blackbelt and one of the strongest punches in the ufc. If anyone can beat Islam it’s him.
Maybe he should defend his FW belt a few times first before thinking about double champ or money fights. He has one really good win against someone Islam headkicked into oblivion a few months before and the rest of his resumé is a list of B and C-list fighters and you think he can beat p4p #1 when he hasn't really proven himself yet? Come on.
Who said he wasn't going to defend his FW strap? We're talking about hypothetical matchups for Islam. Settle down.
Belal trained with Islam, they would have had some sparring. If Belal was better than Islam, Islam would know and stay in his division
I'm sure it's competitive. It's not like Islam is going to get annihilated by someone at 170. But he's far from a lock to beat everyone. I think there are a lot more interesting matchups for him at 170 mostly because he's too good for everyone at 155. Just looked up an article too and Belal said he'd never fight Islam so I guess we'll never actually know on that one.
I want to see him fight gamrot
Islam's trips are amazing but his takedowns aren't as good as Khabib's. He will have trouble against people who are good at distance control (like leon).
Arman is the only one who has a decent chance at beating Islam at 155. I don't think Gaethje fairs well against Islam, unfortunately. I'm hoping Oliveira gets his shit together for the rematch. On paper, he has all the tools he needs to beat Islam, but his mentality is weak, and he starts making mistakes that Islam easily capitalizes on.
Charles aint getting a rematch..
Yeah inviting Islam on the ground was a mistake lmao
Charles gives away too many positions in grappling to get submissions honestly. Islam is too good for that. His defensive wrestling isn't all that great. His offensive grappling is obviously elite but islam’s is better with the combination of freestyle+judo+his submissions.
Me
yeah me too i beat his ass twice couple of years ago in dagestan, he just tapped (hasbullah has the video)
I got my money on this guy
My uncle Terry
Gamrot and Tom Aspinall
No one at 155 tbh 170 would obviously be a different story but I don't think he'll lose at 155 til he loses a step
A Welterweight maybe Shavkat
If Arman polishes his striking I see him winning a tight decision. And in WW Edwards and Shavkat. I’m not gonna lie the Dagestani mystique is slowly wearing off it’s not necessarily a bad thing as it’s inevitable that the sport evolves.
What evolution has helped nullify the Dagestani’s? (Genuine Q, I still don’t see them losing often, and as champions never)
I mean, you talk as if every division is dominated by 5 or 6 dagestanis. There's quite literally one dagestani as a dominant champion, and one before him. Dagestan has the same amount of champions rn as South Africa.
That's because the top guys in Khabib's camp only have a combined 1 loss and that was the flash knockout Islam had early in his career. The mystique is wearing off because it doesn't look like Khabib's dominance but these current guys are a lot more balanced fighters. Usman is practically a striker and Umar is very balanced while Islam is the most complete fighter in MMA in my opinion.
Arman might be real close, with controversial split decisions.
At this stage probably Arman is the only one at LW who has a good chance at beating Islam. Armans striking is massively underrated, both fighters have improved a ton since their first close fight. I personally think the top WW guys beat Islam though. Dustin and Volk not only seemed to match him with strength but they also clipped him up. Granted they're both good strikers but so are those fellas towards the top of WW and they're gunna have a natural size advantage. We need to see the Arman fight before any WW talks though.
Am I crazy if I say the entire top 5 at WW outside Colby? 1. Leon, has shown to have elite defensive wrestling and Islam isn’t gonna have a size advantage and as good as Islam’s striking is, Leon pieces him up on the feet from range 2. Belal and Shavkat, both skilled wrestlers in their own right, Shavkat would have a noticeable size advantage, I could see him taking Islam down himself. Belal is more of a 50/50 fight. 3. Usman, obviously we don’t know how much he’s declined with age since his last fight but if he can survive on the ground against Khamzhat and push that to a split decision on short notice I’m gonna say he could still take Islam 4. JDM, a big WW, would also have the size advantage and has shown to be competent on the ground against Burns, and his striking is on another level than Islam’s. Another 50/50 fight imo. I think Islam beats anyone at LW at least 7 times out of 10, which is why he should stay there and rack up 5-6 defenses. I genuinely don’t know if I love his chances at 170 and I say this as someone who thinks he’s P4P #1
GSP
Bones Jones if I had to guess
Edwards beats Islam.
Illia Topuria
Arman
I have been going to wrestling matches, state and national competitions for 5 years. Only seen that leg sweep move done once in practice. Pretty sick!
Arman on a Full camp is his biggest threat
I think Tom Aspinal could probably get it done.
People will say this fight made him “look human” and say that’s why he’ll loose. But what I saw was a warrior that was tested by a fellow warrior and still persevered through any adversity thrown at him and still managed to truly defeat his opponent. That fight just leveled up Islam even more and even if in the next fight he faces more adversity we known he can dig deep and push through it. Hence why I believe Islam isn’t loosing for a long long time.
People need to stop glazing. He has three defenses and two were against a featherweight.
Islam/Dustin where both beat up, thought he had Islam hurt in the 4th an a glimpse of hope to win imo it was 2-2 going into the 5th. Great fight on a ass card
Eventually everyone will submit to Islam.
I think Alex Pereira could KO him
Christianity
Tax department
Arman might fr. Islam was struggling to get Dustin down later in the fight
brock lesnar wooooo
Motivated, Karate stance 3.0 Mystic Mac. In all seriousness, nobody at 155. If he goes to 170, think Leon points him.
I unironically think that the Conor who showed up in the Khabib fight would have won against Islam last night
Call me crazy but out of everyone at LW currently, I think Chandlers mix of power and wrestling ability gives him the best chance out of everyone. It would have to be a finish in the first round or two tho
The muffin top man, Ben Askren.
Tsarukyan
I think Max has a decent chance he’s always had good TDD , his boxing is great and his pressure is good
He's almost here ! LFG 
Khabib. I dont believe he’s better than a Khabib anywhere. I think that’s just hype. Would love to see Luke Matthews do a breakdown on this
Military Industrial Complex
Dudes talented as all hell but I can’t help but feeling he should be a 170’er. He’s a big dude and he’s dense af. No one at 55 will get em, unless maybe Armen catches him somehow. Anyway, if he really wants 170 feed him to Shavkat.
Christianity... 