“We can choose what poison we want”- Coach Javier Mendez waxes lyrical about Islam Makhachev’s versatility
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Islam Makhachev and coach Javier Mendez
UFC Lightweight Islam Makhachev is a force to reckon with considering he is a Dagestani product and protege of late great Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov and the latter’s son, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. For someone coming from the hills of Dagestan, Makhachev is first a wrestler by heart that brings in that pressure grappling into the MMA cage, to such a level that the toughest of fighters like Dan Hooker succumb to his skillset within the first round.
However, most of the people are overlooking Makhachev’s hidden tools, which includes all of his striking arsenals and for that, Makhachev’s American training centre, American Kickboxing Academy’s founder and head coach Javier Mendez is coming out time and again to clear those doubts regarding the idea of Makhachev fighting on his feet.
Javier Mendez recalls Davi Ramos fight where Islam Makhachev proved against his doubters
In an interview with the duo of Submission Radio, coach Mendez answered various questions in relation to his most prominent active student Makhachev and as a boxing coach, he’s all praise for Makhachev’s standup game.
“For Davi Ramos [Makhachev’s opponent for UFC 242] the clear cut plan for that one was to stand to be the matador versus the bull and Islam executed that to a T,” says coach Mendez talking about Makhahchev’s fight against Ramos where Makhahchev won via unanimous decision and under the same card his teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov defended his then lightweight title against Dustin Poirier.
“That wasn’t a ground game that was a stand-up game. If you guys watched that fight, you’ll go ‘wow that was a masterful stand-up display by Islam Makhachev‘ and he’s way better now. So it’s one of those scenarios where we can choose what poison we want to use and we can change it any way we want round by round so that’s the beauty of what he’s all about,” concludes Mendez.
What do you make of coach Mendez talking about in praise of Makhachev’s stand up alongside the latter’s already known wrestling? Who do you think wins between Makhachev and Green at UFC Vegas 49? For someone who’s been into the sport for a very long time, if Green pulls off an upset over the heavy favourite in Makhachev, he can secure the biggest victory of his career and over that, perhaps a title shot. However, for someone who hasn’t been defeated since 2015, Makhachev is the most one of the most dominant forces to reckon with in this generation of fighters at 155 lbs.
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Abhai Singh Tanwar
(1386 Articles Published)