Islam Makhachev pulled off ‘one of the greatest heel’ moves by calling out UFC jiu-jitsu black belts, says Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen thinks Islam Makhachev's war against BJJ Black Belt holders became a captivating storyline.

Islam Makhachev pulled off ‘one of the greatest heel’ moves by calling out UFC jiu-jitsu black belts, says Chael Sonnen

Chael Sonnen praises Islam Makhachev (via Imago)

UFC legend Chael Sonnen has made some bold claims about the lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. Sonnen is known for his theatrics and trash-talks. He commended Makhachev for pulling a ‘heel move’ by attacking the BJJ black belt fighters in the UFC.

According to professional wrestling standards, a heel move is something that a ‘bad guy’ does. Islam Makhachev called out BJJ black belt in the UFC before he became the champion at UFC 280. According to Chael Sonnen, Makhachev did a great job disrupting the credibility of fighters who held BJJ black belts.

Islam Makhachev is one of the greatest heels in this sport. Islam said there's too many black belts in the sport, I cannot believe...a lot of people need to give their black belts back. The media, they went right on this. 'hey, what do you mean by that' Islam said 'I don't have a black belt, I grapple all the time. But I can destroy all the guys that do. I can tap them out.' 
Chael Sonnen via Youtube
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The UFC lightweight first made his argument during an interview on Daniel Cormier’s YouTube channel. At the moment, it looked like a sarcastic joke, but it had an immediate impact. Fight fans are now becoming more aware of fighters’ capabilities irrespective of their belt status.

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The Dagestani has given some of the most dominating performances in recent times. Makhachev’s incredible wrestling and striking skills remain a threat to anyone in the division. As such, he made fighting champions like Charles Oliveira and Alexander Volkanovski make look easy.

Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev destroyed UFC black belt holders

Islam Makhachev’s initial comments about the legitimacy of the BJJ black belt came against Dustin Poirier. Moreover, the focal point of Makhachev’s criticism came from Poirier’s ill-advised granby roll against Charles Oliveira at UFC 269. The Dagestani fighter argued that a legitimate BJJ black belt would not have made such a blunder.

Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev vs BJJ black belts
Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev vs BJJ black belts(via Yahoo Sports/Bjj Eastern Europe)

Furthermore, the Dagestani champion easily submitted Oliveira, something Poirier couldn’t do. ADCC silver medalist Craig Jones also supported Makhachev’s argument. The BJJ specialist claimed that many fighters deserve to have their black belts taken away.

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A similar situation occurred with Khamzat Chimaev and his coach, Alan Do Nascimento. Chimaev’s jiu-jitsu coach is strict in awarding belts and believes that black belt distribution has become too open nowadays. He went on to compare receiving BJJ belts with getting McDonald’s orders.

The Chechen-born is a BJJ purple belt holder but has dominant wins over black belts such as Kevin Holland and many others. Incidents like this further question the debate around the fighters with fake BJJ black belts.

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