Islam Makhachev successfully defended his Lightweight title for the third time against Dustin Poirier in the main event of the UFC 302. The Russian fighter has finished six of his last seven fights in the cage, which shows his insane versatility. He is currently the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the octagon.
Recently, a UFC veteran was spotted giving his take on the same and revealed which fighter he thinks can dethrone Makhachev from the UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
UFC Veteran on Islam Makhachev and Alex Pereira
Islam Makhachev has shown that he has got no weak spots in his game. He outstruck Dustin Poirier in the octagon, even took him down, and finished him in the fifth round of their fight. Josh Thomson, the host of the Weighing In podcast, gave his take on who he thinks has the potential to dethrone Islam Makhachev from the pound-for-pound rankings. Thomspon said,
Alex Pereira. He’s always training. He’s ready to fight. Let’s go.
Thompson clarified that Alex Pereira is the only guy who can realistically overtake Islam Makhachev. In his first nine fights in the company, Pereira has beaten five champions and won titles in multiple divisions, a feat Islam has yet to achieve. Pereira has finished most of his opponents in the UFC. He finished Jamahal Hill in the first round in the main event of UFC 300. Pereira might be a legendary kickboxer, but he’s not as versatile as Islam Makhachev.
Pereira has been taken down in the octagon multiple times now. Alex has to work on his grappling skills to overtake Makhachev in the pound-for-pound rankings. Islam is as good a striker as he is a grappler. Makhacehv has submitted, finished, and won on decision in the octagon throughout his career. It will be interesting to see what happens in the pound-for-pound rankings in the future.
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