Islam Makhachev says 'Dagestani wrestling is at a different level' as he readies to face Charles Oliveira
It took less than 90 seconds during a conversation with Islam Makhachev for him to lay out his game plan against Charles Oliveira when they fight for the lightweight title Saturday in the main event of UFC 280 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Makhachev, who is a -175 favorite at BetMGM to win the vacant title, was talking about Oliveira's striking when he was asked if he felt his striking was underrated.
"I don't use too much my striking because my wrestling is much better than all these fighters," Makhachev told Yahoo Sports. "I know that Dagestani wrestling is at a different level. I choose the easy way. I take them down, make them tired and finish them there."
Makhachev's wrestling acumen is backed up by the statistics. He's 10th in takedown accuracy at 65.8 percent. If he takes down Oliveira two out of every three attempts, it's probably going to be a bad night for the former champion.
Makhachev has won 10 consecutive fights — one less than Oliveira's 11 in a row — and is 22-1 overall. His only loss was in his second fight in the UFC when he was stopped by Adriano Martins.
That loss, and his heavy reliance on his wrestling, has caused some to think that his striking is subpar. But Khabib Nurmagomedov, the former UFC champion who was Makhachev's former teammate and now coach, said it is a mistake to consider him one-dimensional.
Makhachev, Nurmagomedov told Yahoo Sports earlier this year, has a varied arsenal but is savvy enough to use what works in the moment.
"Islam has many skills and can do everything he needs to do to win," Nurmagomedov told Yahoo Sports. "But he has this (tapping his forehead). He understands the sport and what he needs to do depending on who he's fighting and what is going on in the fight."
Makhachev seconded Nurmagomedov's point. If one doesn't have to strike, it's smart not to because all it takes is one mistake with 4-ounce gloves for a fight to end. Given that he has world-class, Olympic-caliber wrestling, it doesn't make a lot of sense for him to stand toe-to-toe and get into a shootout with an opponent just to please the crowd.
That's especially true against Oliveira, who has nine victories by knockout among his 30 finishes overall.
He pointed to Khamzat Chimaev's win over Kevin Holland at UFC 279 last month in Las Vegas. Chimaev shot immediately and finished Holland in the first. He said Chimaev is a talented striker, but correctly recognized that Holland didn't have anywhere near the wrestling skills he did. Chimaev, Makhachev said, fought a smart fight, taking the easiest path.
Makhachev, though, is confident that if he needs to, he could stand with Oliveira and come out ahead. He wasn't fully developed as a fighter when he was stopped by Martins and was just 24. Now, with seven years additional experience, he is a complete fighter.
"I can strike with anyone in the UFC," Makhachev said. "But you're with the small gloves and it's risky. I just choose the easier way, you know? Against Adriano, I was so young and still [learning] and I felt nobody could stop me. I just went forward and didn't listen to my corner. I was trying to land some hard punches. After that fight, I learned. This is MMA and you have to begin slowly and feel the distance. You just need to be smart and aware of what is going on and I have gotten that in time through experience."
Makhachev said he's learned so much from Nurmagomedov, particularly when they are teammates. Nurmagomedov was a great leader on the team, Makhachev said, and showed him how to be a professional. With Nurmagomedov retired and saying he'll never return, Makhachev wants to take over as the team leader.
And if he wins the title, he's going to remember those who were once ranked higher than he was and didn't want to give him an opportunity.
"Everything is going to change," he said. "I called out all these guys for so many years. You heard me, everyone. It was hard sometimes not getting these fights [I wanted] but I'm where I have wanted to be. This is what I was meant to do and what I want to do.
"Some of these fighters are saying, 'Islam hasn't beaten anyone from the top. Why is he getting the title shot?' But this is not my problem. I called these guys for many years and they had nothing to say. Now, it's my turn to prove what I have been saying."
