‘Sugar’ will compete prior to the 155lb title fight taking center stage on October 22. The bantamweight will be hoping to come away with another victory and push towards a shot at UFC gold. However, he is tasked with taking down the formidable Petr Yan, his toughest fight inside the cage so far and a tough fight even for the best out there.
During a recent interview with Helen Yee, Sean O’Malley shared his opinion on the lightweight prospect, insisting that Khabib Nurmagomedov is the sole reason Islam Makhachev has been put on a pedestal.
Oliveira vs. Makhachev is arguably the most highly anticipated matchup in the lightweight division since Conor McGregor faced off against Khabib Nurmagomedov four years ago.
Check out what Sean O’Malley had to say about the two men competing atop the 155lb mountain in the video below:
Is Sean O’Malley right about Islam Makhachev being overhyped?
Since the retirement of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev has been seen by fans as ‘The Eagle’s successor, and many believe he will have as illustrious a career as his life-long training partner.
The 30-year-old arguably has a much more polished standup and slicker grappling than Nurmagomedov. He controlled all of his foes in an anaconda-like manner that was suffocating to watch. He toyed with jiu-jitsu elite Thiago Moises and outclassed ‘Master of Sport’ wrestler Arman Tsarukyan. For perspective, Petr Yan is ‘Master of Sport’ in boxing.
Not unlike his illustrious friend, Islam Makhachev has been tearing through the division without much effort, and caught the eye by easily disposing of both Dan Hooker and Bobby Green in his last two outings.
While he may not have big names on his resume, the lightweight has a chance to prove all doubters wrong by beating Charles Oliveira next month.
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