Former UFC title contender Antoine Smith in an interview with he compared Khabib Nurmagomedova And Islam Makhacheva before the fight between Makhachev and Dustin Poirier .
UFC lightweight champion Makhachev will defend his belt against Poirier at UFC 302 in Newark on June 1. In 2019, Poirier was a contender for the Nurmagomedov fight, but lost by third-round choke.
Light heavyweight Smith also works as a television analyst and breaks down key UFC fights.
— In Russia, few people believe in Dustin Poirier in the fight against Islam Makhachev, since Poirier has already lost to Khabib. How can Dustin Poirier beat Makhachev?
— I don’t want to upset the Russian fans, but I will say this. Compared to Khabib, Islam is a more versatile fighter than Khabib. I think Islam has better striking technique, and maybe he is better when it comes to executing techniques on the field. He’s definitely better at kicking. In other words, he has more skills. He is more diverse than Khabib. But Khabib was incredibly good at what he did. He was good at imposing his will on any opponent. I would say that Islam is more “skillful” (from English skills – abilities or skills – approximately “”), but Khabib was even better due to the fact that he had a strong side, in which he There is simply nowhere else. It could have been better.
It probably has something to do with mental attitude. There too, they are different. Islam seems more relaxed, calm and not in a hurry. And Khabib is just a hammer, a tank. He rushes at you, throws you to the ground and finishes you off. In this regard, Khabib is tougher. And this is Dustin’s opportunity. Islam is ready to fight in more varied ways than Khabib. In theory, this could give Dustin the opportunity to interrupt. If I had to bet, I would of course choose Islam. But Poirier has a chance to come out on top, drawing Islam into a standing showdown. Maybe he can enter early, he will force Makhachev to retreat – then it will be easier to defend against takedowns. If you go backwards, then it is more difficult to go through the legs. Khabib never backed down or left his opponent. We saw it with Islam in the fight against Volkanovski. If Islam is eliminated, it will be very difficult for Dustin. Handstand on earth is pretty good, but Islam is on another level.
Overall, I don’t think Islam is as strong as Khabib. But for Dustin, it will still be an extremely difficult fight. Although in a fight against Islam, in my opinion, he still has a slightly better chance than against Khabib.
Well, I will also add a little: I really like the style of Islam and Khabib. Russian sambo, this crazy, exhausting, cruel control from above. It’s something I’ve always wanted to have in my arsenal. I never had such skills. If I could choose something that would automatically add to my skills, I would choose learning to fight like these two. How do they do this, what is going on in their heads at the moment? Fighting like this is very difficult not only physically, but also mentally. It’s exhausting, it’s painful, it’s pushing you to the limit. From the outside, all we see is Khabib coming out, lunging at his opponent, knocking him down and crushing him. But doing this is extremely difficult. Fighting in this style is extremely difficult. I would like the same thing. What they are doing is really impressive,” Smith told .
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I am Ashley Ortiz and I am a professional journalist working for Athletistic. My specialty is in sports journalism, particularly boxing. I have written articles for some of the most renowned publications on the subject, and my work has been featured across both print and digital media platforms.