Dana White: Makhachev Has Potential to Go on Record-Breaking Title Defense Run

[Bobble Head]

This might or might not be the response you expected, but I actually get it. Most people feel that way.

I think it’s the pretty record. Khabib left the sport unbeaten. Islam will always have the blemish which was 8 years ago. Unfair IMO because most people have losses before hitting their stride. Khabib just happened to never lose when he was a B level fighter/green, and then retired while he was in his prime at the top after a few title defenses. Had the perfect storybook career.

I do still stand by the belief that Islam’s offensive and defensive striking is so good because of that loss. It pushed him to get better on the feet and he is overall more well rounded than Khabib. He has the potential to have a more impressive career, but will always have an asterisk when compared to Khabib because of a stupid loss when he was green. This isn’t boxing.. It shouldn’t work that way.

 

[nostradumbass]

lots of guys could get record breaking title defenses if they started their reign off by fighting the guy from the weight class below twice.

Lots of guys would break the defense record, huh?

Guys moving up have always done very well, guys moving down not so much. DC moved up and won the HW belt, Jones did too, GSP moved up and won the MW belt, the current MW champ was a WW, Whittaker was a WW, BJ beating Matt Hughes, Conor moved up and won a belt, Cejudo moved up and won a belt.

Moving down we have DC doing pretty well but coming up short, BJ being terrible at FW, Dillashaw getting smashed quickly, Machida being worse at MW, Rashad losing to Sam Alvey,

 

[Cooliox]

Serious?

He arguably lost the belt to Volk in Australia.

Then he beat Volk who took the fight on 10 days notice. How does that say anything?

Fight Poirier, fight Gaethje, Fight Chandler, rematch Charles... if you beat them all, then go up and claim the WW belt like BJ Penn did.

Then we can call you 155 GOAT

 

[Lee_]

BJ Penn, bless his soul, also reeled off a dizzying streak of losses culminating in that epic send-off outside a bar at the hands of a drunk, fat dude. Islam will like never be that "unmotivated" to fuck his career up so bad.

Big difference.

BJ didn't know when to quit, which is a problem. We have yet to see if that happens to Islam. He might fight until that neckbeard is totally grey and might get KOd buy some old fat sheik in public.

 

[AdamWarlock]

dana never liked islam, he tried his hardest to push islam away from the title but couldn't
now he's on the bandwagon when islam start making him money, how convenient. nobody cares about your opinion dana

 

[jx820]

I think he'll have the longest title run at 155 if he stays there. If he gets past Gaethje I don't see anyone out there that I'd pick to beat him.

Olivera could, but I wouldn't pick him. Fiziev and Gamrot have potential but they seem to lose big fights. Tsarukyan is young and talented enough to maybe be a threat someday, but he's at least a year from a shot.

 

[rjmbrd]

Beating Charles who was on his own historic 11 fight win streak is more important than anything Khabib did by a substantial margin. To really underline it, Do Bronx came back from that loss and SMOKED the #1 contender.

Islam is ahead of Khabib IMO.

He's already the GOAT of his generation, but will likely be widely considered all-time within a few fights.

Its MMA, these things are high risk, anything can happen etc etc, but on a skill level, he's one of the best to ever do it.

 

[Dorkman]

I've been saying it for a while and I got so much shit for it.

As time goes on, less and less people will disagree with me, but I'm sure some still will.

Islam is a special talent.

People just seem to naturally hate on the dagestanis. Maybe it’s the casuals because khabib embarrassed Conor who they loved.

 

[Yep]

I’m not gonna shit on Dana for promoting I. This regard. Islam is pretty good and I don’t know if anyone right now is much of a challenge. I want there to be. Olives ain’t making me feel like he’s there to end Islam when he didn’t even bother to leave early to train. And gaethje is a person I love to root for but he’s also hard to root for.

 

[JKS]

If he's gotta go Olivera, Gaethje, Gamrot and Arman. I don't see him beating all those guys, I think he loses to one or two. Nothing against Islam, I don't see any LW beating a row of elite fighters like that at this point. Just too much opportunity for something to go wrong.

 

[Dana's Moonface]

If he's gotta go Olivera, Gaethje, Gamrot and Arman. I don't see him beating all those guys, I think he loses to one or two. Nothing against Islam, I don't see any LW beating a row of elite fighters like that at this point. Just too much opportunity for something to go wrong.

Fair opinion for sure
If he did run through all the above? How high would you rank him?

Top 15?
Top 10?

 

[JKS]

Fair opinion for sure
If he did run through all the above? How high would you rank him?

Top 15?
Top 10?

You mean among LW's all time or goat list all together??

 

[vivi]

He very well could be. I think as a fighter stylistically he’s much more calculated and well rounded than Khabib anyway.

 

[HI SCOTT NEWMAN]

The belt gets passed around like confetti, shouldn't be difficult to get the LW title defense record.

 

[SalvadorAllende]

Problem with Islam is that he was ducked by other contenders when he was making his way up to the rankings so he does not have that strong of a resume.

Put him vs Justin next and then line the rest up.

 

[FrappeDuRocma]

Breaking title defenses counting 2 times against a same... FW. FW. What a warrior this guy. Best ever.

It was a title defense, deal with it, that FW looked better than your idole...

 

[Dana's Moonface]

You mean among LW's all time or goat list all together??

All over
Obviously if he runs through the guys you listed he is 100% the LW goat

 

[FrappeDuRocma]

i honestly feel like the last fight shouldn't even count, islam trained, his opponent didnt. its not fair, its disingenuous. islam needs to beat at least gaethje, chandler/gamrot/whoever else, in dominant fashion to be considered a LW goat IMO. he is legit, and it is the fault of the UFC for going this direction with him. He should have defended against Gamrot, makes way more sense than off the couch Volk. problem is, dude wants to go to 170, and you know the TKO era UFC is all about that. I wonder how much longer Islam can make 155, which countries he can make 155 in. would love to see him beat more fighters at 155 than just oliveira. come on.

Gamrot is not that good, he has to be the luckiest fighter ever. Robbed Tsarukyan, struggled mightly against Turner, Fiziev got Injured against him...

Volk in short notice >>> Gamrot.

 

[FrappeDuRocma]

I love how this thread is full of people who predicted that Volk was going to win, but now they are butt hurt.

 

[Pancake Sprawl]

Lots of guys would break the defense record, huh?

Guys moving up have always done very well, guys moving down not so much. DC moved up and won the HW belt, Jones did too, GSP moved up and won the MW belt, the current MW champ was a WW, Whittaker was a WW, BJ beating Matt Hughes, Conor moved up and won a belt, Cejudo moved up and won a belt.

Moving down we have DC doing pretty well but coming up short, BJ being terrible at FW, Dillashaw getting smashed quickly, Machida being worse at MW, Rashad losing to Sam Alvey,

who cares how guys do when moving down? Islam isn't moving down so it doesn't matter in this context. guys moving up have done very well? DC got KO'd and lost a best out of 3 vs Stipe. BJ got beat by GSP, Conor has 1 win at 155lbs and it's Eddie Alvarez. Cejudo also just lost to Sterling who got destroyed by O'Malley. just because you get gifted a title shot and end up winning doesn't mean they do well. you didn't even name Robert Whittaker and he's a much better example of what you're arguing. but who even cares about all of that, you know what i mean. i'm not dogging Islam, but his title defenses have been against 1 guy who is a FW. those are facts. you want to be a GOAT? then start beating some LWs...