Aussie UFC legend Robert Whittaker says he’d side with Islam Makhachev in a fantasy showdown against the man most consider the greatest welterweight ever.
Makhachev recently stormed into the 170-pound division, claiming the welterweight crown with a brutally dominant performance over Jack Della Maddalena, controlling the West Aussie star on the canvas for the majority of the five-rounder.
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Georges St-Pierre, also a two-division champ, built his name on overwhelming opponents with takedowns and strategy. But “Bobby Knuckles” believes Makhachev’s skillset gives him the edge even against a prime GSP.
“That’s tricky because GSP has got a good game to fight Makhachev,” Whittaker said on the MMArcade podcast.
“He’s got a really good game. He’s like a springy, karate-esque fighter. He likes punching from outside the distance, loves to scramble, has the cardio to scramble, has really top-tier jiu-jitsu.
“Honestly, I think Islam would get it done.
“If the fight becomes a scramble-off and a wrestle-off, Islam’s going come out of it better just because he’s built for it.
“(Khamzat) Chimaev would do the same, whereas GSP utilized the full toolbox of MMA. So he utilized his wrestling and his grappling to eventually stand back up, box your head off because you’re worried about the takedown. Then he’ll take you back down and do the same.
“Islam, he’ll get you down, and you ain’t getting back up.”
Makhachev, who racked up his sixteenth win at UFC 322, also reclaimed his position atop the pound-for-pound conversation.
However, UFC outlaw Nate Diaz isn’t convinced he should be there.
“They just throw that s**t out like that,” Diaz said on N3on’s Twitch stream when asked if Makhachev should be considered the No.1.
“Like, he’s been here for, like, two minutes and he ain’t beaten nobody that’s great. The best lightweight ever was B.J. Penn. B.J. Penn was beating up Matt Hughes and [Georges-St-Pierre] – did he beat ‘GSP?’ No, he beat his ass, but lost.
“So when you get s**t like that and you’ve got whatever Islam did, it’s like, that don’t even match – Not that he can’t be and won’t be, though. But you’re just going to throw GOAT at a motherf**ker when he just showed up on the scene.”
Diaz’s comments won’t surprise anyone who has followed his career – the former title challenger has spent years blasting fighters he believes rely on safety-first game plans.
“They think I’m f**king just hating because we’ve got our differences, but there’s s**t that I’ve seen that I just remember forever and that’s GOAT s**t,” Diaz said.
“I ain’t seen nothing from them motherf**kers. I can’t even remember anything but getting bored in all them fools last fights, so that name shouldn’t even be thrown at those guys.”
Makhachev’s got a stack of challengers lining up at welterweight, and UFC Qatar only added more to the list.
Michael Morales and Carlos Prates made a statement at UFC 322 with highlight-reel wins, and now Ian Garry’s thrown his hat in the ring after taking out former champ Belal Muhammad on Sunday.
Straight after the fight, Garry demanded a shot at Makhachev, declaring himself the most deserving contender in the division.
“Yeah, that will be interesting,” Makhachev responded on Monday.
“He’s also a good fighter. He’s on a good winning streak and he’s young. I think it’ll be interesting.
“We’ll see. He didn’t surprise me yesterday. If he surprised the UFC, then maybe he will be next.”
Many believe that Shavkat Rakhmonov deserves the next shot at the title, but Makhachev isn’t sold on the idea.
“[Shavkat] hasn’t fought for over a year,” Makhachev said.
“A contender can’t sit out for a year with injuries and then come fight for the belt. We said hello, he congratulated me. We just shook hands. If he recovers, and the UFC decides he’s next, why not?”
Either way, the new two-division champ reckons the UFC will make their decision in the near future.
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“I think the UFC will decide soon,” Makhachev said.
“Yesterday, there was a good fight. A former champion fought a young guy. I think we have at least three or four contenders now, and soon, probably in about two weeks, it will be clear who the next challenger will be.”