Bellator champion Vadim Nemkov recounts Islam Makhachev BRUTALLY DISMANTLING him in grappling training

Bellator champion Vadim Nemkov recounts Islam Makhachev BRUTALLY DISMANTLING him in grappling training

Vadim Nemkov (L), Islam Makhachev (R)

Islam Makhachev is the name on every MMA fan’s lips right now – love him or hate him, his ascent to the lightweight belt has been unprecedented.

Despite being a terrific striker, the Dagestani imprint is easily visible in Makhachev’s octagon gameplan. Against former champion Charles Oliveira, the Russian fighter mixed in a good stand-up base, which he used to knock the Brazilian down. That being said, Makhachev came into his own on the canvas – once Oliveira had been downed, it didn’t take too long for Islam Makhachev to thrust his signature top pressure on the Brazilian, before submitting him with an ingenious arm-triangle choke.

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Now, Bellator Champion Vadim Nemkov has come forward to testify to the UFC lightweight champion’s unparalleled greatness on the ground. Speaking about the 31-year-old, he said that the two grappled together in 2015-16 and when on top, Makhachev crushed him like a stove.

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Despite Nemkov and Makhachev fighting in the light heavyweight and lightweight divisions respectively, the UFC lightweight champion’s prowess on the ground should come as no surprise to anyone. Although they are good friends, Daniel Cormier (retired UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight champion) and Islam Makhachev have had quite competitive grappling sessions at AKA Gym, San Jose.

Related- Who is Islam Makhachev? How is he related to Khabib Nurmagomedov?

Islam Makhachev returns to action against Australian featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski

Islam Makhachev (L) and Alexander Volkanovski fight for the lightweight belt at UFC 284
Islam Makhachev (L) and Alexander Volkanovski fight for the lightweight belt at UFC 284

One of the defining characteristics of a great champion is how active they choose to be in their reign at the top. While a lot of champions fight just once a year, to mitigate injury and chances of losing the belt, there are some that make it a point to stay relatively active. Former champion Israel Adesanya, who fought thrice this year, comes to mind here.

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In a similar vein, Islam Makhachev single-handedly was able to book his next fight even before leaving the octagon after his successful outing against Charles Oliveira. Asked by Daniel Cormier as to who he would like to fight next, Islam Makhachev beckoned to the ‘short guy’ in the crowd to come and join him in the octagon. In came Alexander Volkanovski, the current featherweight king of the UFC, and the two shook hands, in an agreement to fight for the lightweight title and the pound-for-pound Number 1 status.

The UFC recently announced the officialization of the Alexander Volkanovski-Islam Makhachev title bout at UFC 284, in Perth, Australia. Although he holds the title for the pound-for-pound best fighter in the UFC, can we see a rejig at the top in February, when Islam Makhachev takes him head-on for the lightweight belt?

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