Many are seeing the upcoming light-weight title struggle between Islam Makhachev and Dustin Poirier as a repeat of Poirier’s 2019 failed try to win the belt towards Khabib Nurmagomedov. Nonetheless, Javier Mendez, head coach of Makhachev and Nurmagomedov, thinks that evaluation is completely flawed.
Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) appears to make his third title protection towards Poirier (30-8 MMA, 22-7 UFC) on June 1 in the primary occasion of UFC 302. Though Makhachev’s staff is conversant in Poirier, Mendez sees this as a special matchup.
“No, that is going to be loads completely different as a result of Islam isn’t Khabib,” Mendez instructed MMA Junkie in Spanish. “They’re two completely different fighters, they usually don’t work the identical. The one factor they do the identical is the self-discipline. They each work onerous, however their type is completely different.
“Khabib was extra ground-oriented, however that’s what we needed. We’d all the time inform him, ‘Take the struggle to the bottom, take the struggle to the bottom. Father’s plan, father’s plan.’ … With Islam, he’s coaching all of the types; Muay Thai and boxing with different instructors in Dagestan. Khabib by no means did, he solely skilled with me. That’s why Islam developed a lot within the hanging. Islam can struggle nevertheless he desires, Khabib we’d inform him to wrestle as a result of nobody on the planet may take care of it, and we knew it.
“Islam has all of it. How he desires to win, when he desires to win, the place he desires to win, it’s as much as him. We are able to take the struggle anyplace we would like. That’s the distinction between Islam and Khabib. Khabib’s No. 1 factor was wrestling, however Islam can do no matter he desires.”
Many have recommended that Makhachev’s path to victory is to wrestle towards Poirier like Nurmagomedov did in his 2019 title protection. Poirier is a harmful striker, however Mendez is assured that Makhachev can’t solely hold with Poirier on the toes but in addition beat him at his personal sport.
“Look what occurred towards Volkanovslki, he beat him within the hanging,” Mendez stated. “If folks suppose that Islam can solely win by taking the struggle to the bottom, they’re flawed. That’s not the way it has to occur. Islam can do no matter he desires. Now, I’m not going to inform you what we now have deliberate for the struggle, however I can inform you Islam can do no matter he desires. Hanging or floor sport, we will do all of it.”
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