Mystic Makhachev? UFC lightweight champion predicts quick finish over Dustin Poirier at UFC 302

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev thinks he has a good idea of ​​what his fight against Dustin Poirier will look like at UFC 302. In fact, he can see everything in front of him, from the opening moments to the end – and it doesn’t take long very.

“We’ll start and I’ll try to take him down,” Makhachev told Yahoo Sports. “He’s going to try to get me with the guillotine (strangulation). I will defend the guillotine. I’m going to throw some punches at him. He will turn his back. Then I’ll finish.

To see? Simple, really. The mischievous smile on Makhachev’s face as he laid out this vision of the future suggested that, at least to some extent, he was having a little fun with the prediction. At the same time, he also showed that he was paying attention.

At this point, there are a few things about Poirier that are pretty well established. One is that he loves jumping into the guillotine, even though he’s never won a professional fight that way. (“I think in training he might submit a lot of guys that way,” Makhachev said. “If he didn’t, I think he would stop.”) Another is that if you don’t count the interim title Poirier won, he’s 0- 2 in UFC lightweight title fights.

The third, and perhaps most important for Makhachev, is that wherever Poirier goes, he brings with him a lot of eyes. This is important when you are a UFC champion, as these are typically the only fighters who receive a cut of the pay-per-view money.

“Maybe I’ll make good money with Dustin,” Makhachev. “More than with Arman (Tsarukyan), I think.”

In Makhachev’s opinion, these are the only two names left for him in the 155-pound division. Poirier would be good for pay and name value on his resume, he said. Tsarukyan has already been defeated once, but will likely have to face him again after Tsarukyan’s victory in a high-profile fight at UFC 300. After that? Then it will be his turn to move up a division and compete for the welterweight title, he said.

This is where things get a little complicated for Makhachev. He is approaching two years as the UFC’s undisputed lightweight champion. As of now, he has defended the belt against zero real lightweights.

It’s not really his fault, of course. His first title defense was against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, who earned the right to move up and challenge for a second title. Makhachev escaped with a narrow decision victory in that one, and then was booked for a rematch with former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira last fall. When Oliveira gave up, Volkanovski intervened at the last minute.

This time Makhachev made quick work of him, but seven months later he is still waiting for his first chance to prove his dominance over the division with a title defense against one of their own.

Interestingly, despite this curious history with title defenses, Makhachev is still widely considered a dominant champion. He enters this fight with Poirier as a 5-1 favorite at BetMGM. You could shuffle the field of contenders, which is almost always crowded in this division, and you still probably wouldn’t find anyone who was even close to being a favorite to beat it.

Part of that is probably due to the 13 consecutive UFC wins that have gotten him to this point. At least some of this is a virtue of his association with Khabib Nurmagomedov, his longtime friend, mentor and training partner, who retired undefeated and effectively paved the way for Makhachev.

Probably also because, when you see him fight, what you see is a man who appears to have very few weaknesses. He has the suffocating wrestling and ground attack of Nurmagomedov, but he also has more aggressive striking. In fact, he could be more aggressive overall, not to mention more ambitious in his title hopes.

That’s why, Makhachev said, he’s reluctant to even consider suggestions that include fighters like Max Holloway, whose name was thrown into the lightweight title conversation after winning the ceremonial BMF title at UFC 300.

“I have a job in this division,” Makhachev said. “I don’t want to give people from the other division a chance. I’ve already given Volkanovski two chances. Now I need my chance for the second belt. In my division, honestly, I think I have Dustin and then Arman and that’s it. We don’t have a new opponent who deserves a title fight. Then I’ll be ready to fight the 170-pound champion.”

Of course, the MMA gods have a way of punishing those who dream too big or too soon with multiple titles in multiple weight classes. Makhachev has to get past Poirier first, and that is by no means a fight for anyone in the division.

Still, one thing Makhachev doesn’t lack is confidence. Poirier may have veteran experience and few tricks up his sleeve, the champion admitted, but it’s not a clash that seems to worry him that much.

“One day, perhaps, I hope (Poirier) puts an end to someone with the guillotine,” Makhachev said, that mischievous smile emerging again. “But it won’t be me.”