How does Islam Do Against the Top 5 WWs

[joy2day]

They aren't updated on the site today for exact order, but by pulling out Belal, we get:
Champ- JDM
1) Sean Brady
2) Shavkat
3) Leon
4) Usman
5) Garry

JDM is too much for Islam. The way Belal couldn't keep him down gives me little reason to believe Islam could.

I have a theory that Brady has improved a lot since he lost to Belal and would be too much for Islam with his dominant grappling- Islam has not had to deal with another dominant control grappler, and this is a higher weight class. We would be seeing him on the bottom for extended periods unlike before.

Shavkat also would be too much for Islam; I don't see that going well for him, although it might be a grinder. Islam again would have to survive underneath his opponent for extended times.

Leon and Usman may have decayed bad enough to lose to Islam at this point, but if Usman is as good as he was against Khamzat, I'm not so sure. Kham is much bigger than Islam and probably more dominant as a grappler P4P.

I might call the Garry fight a draw, but Islam would be very motivated to win that fight so that he didn't get capped on by Sherbros for "losing to a cuck."

So no, I don't like Islam's chances all that well at WW and think he will struggle with fighting bigger guys in a top 5 that is relatively strong. This division has actually grown intriguing recently, as JDM, Shavkat, Garry, and Brady have emerged as top fighters. Islam picked a tough time to try to clean out the division at WW if that's what he wants to do.

 

[rorschach51]

I really really want to see Islam vs Brady, I think that's gonna be a crazy fight.

 

[Alpha_T83]

I personally think he can beat all of them. Garry is overrated, Belal already beat Brady and Islam would beat him worse. JDM is the most competitive matchup. I personally think Islam beats Shavkat easily, but I can see why some people would say Shavkat is the toughest matchup.

Usman is just too old and shot to beat Islam. Ditto for Leon.

 

[Only Here for Attachments]

Aren't Islam and Usman best friends and could never fight?

 

[nostradumbass]

Brady and Shavkat are the most interesting, he probably wrecks the others. Even with Brady the grappling is probably a wash and he keeps it standing and boxes him up. Shavkat is the most interesting because they're probably pretty close in striking and once it's on the ground, so it comes down to whether Islam's skill advantage in wrestling is enough to make up for Shavkat's size advantage.

 

[Nobru]

size difference matters, a lot

im not sure Islam beats any of these

 

[joy2day]

I'm not usually big on champs moving up, but I think Islam moving up facilitates intriguing matchups for the title at LW as well as WW. I like the move.

 

[IneedSometop]

Garry could potentially be a nightmare for Islam style wise

 

[rorschach51]

I personally think he can beat all of them. Garry is overrated, Belal already beat Brady and Islam would beat him worse. JDM is the most competitive matchup. I personally think Islam beats Shavkat easily, but I can see why some people would say Shavkat is the toughest matchup.

Usman is just too old and shot to beat Islam. Ditto for Leon.

Brady has gotten much better since he lost to Belal.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Brady has gotten much better since he lost to Belal.

Really? It hasn't even been 3 years. I'm not convinced he's improved enough to beat a better version of Belal.

 

[Tweak896]

Honestly I think Buckley gives Islam the most problems. Shavkat is huge, but wrestling is his biggest weakness. Leon and Usman would get sent down the ranks. Garry struggled with grappling with MVP. Brady would get beat striking. Buckley has great TDD and power, his cardio is decent and Islam doesn't have a crazy gas tank but is probably better in 5 round fights.

 

[cburm]

They aren't updated on the site today for exact order, but by pulling out Belal, we get:
Champ- JDM
1) Sean Brady
2) Shavkat
3) Leon
4) Usman
5) Garry

JDM is too much for Islam. The way Belal couldn't keep him down gives me little reason to believe Islam could.

I have a theory that Brady has improved a lot since he lost to Belal and would be too much for Islam with his dominant grappling- Islam has not had to deal with another dominant control grappler, and this is a higher weight class. We would be seeing him on the bottom for extended periods unlike before.

Shavkat also would be too much for Islam; I don't see that going well for him, although it might be a grinder. Islam again would have to survive underneath his opponent for extended times.

Leon and Usman may have decayed bad enough to lose to Islam at this point, but if Usman is as good as he was against Khamzat, I'm not so sure. Kham is much bigger than Islam and probably more dominant as a grappler P4P.

I might call the Garry fight a draw, but Islam would be very motivated to win that fight so that he didn't get capped on by Sherbros for "losing to a cuck."

So no, I don't like Islam's chances all that well at WW and think he will struggle with fighting bigger guys in a top 5 that is relatively strong. This division has actually grown intriguing recently, as JDM, Shavkat, Garry, and Brady have emerged as top fighters. Islam picked a tough time to try to clean out the division at WW if that's what he wants to do.

I just hope out of shav Usmen and Sean one of them beats the guy.. respect to Islam but he's not the most active champ

 

[rorschach51]

Really? It hasn't even been 3 years. I'm not convinced he's improved enough to beat a better version of Belal.

Well he dominated then smoked Edwards in 4 rounds just recently, Belal didn't do that.

 

[Alpha_T83]

Well he dominated then smoked Edwards in 4 rounds just recently, Belal didn't do that.

Fighters fall off a cliff suddenly. Hard to say that Edwards had the same motivation after just losing his title.

But you could be right.

 

[WhiteMousse]

I think he'd wreck Garry but he is going to have a rough night with pretty much anyone else

 

[ElLunico]

Very well. Belal fucking Muhammad became a champion in that division, that tells you alot how poor the division is. Islam is a big LW, he can beat all of them in any given night. There's no HOF type fighter in that division currently, Usman maybe but he's old.

 

[Orochimaru 大蛇丸]

JDM’s TDD looked good, but I’m not understanding why people are under the impression Islam’s wrestling isn’t significantly more technical than Belal’s

 

[188912345]

JDM’s TDD looked good, but I’m not understanding why people are under the impression Islam’s wrestling isn’t significantly more technical than Belal’s

True, but I like JDMs ability to scramble to his feet if/when taken down.


His foot work, power, chin, and striking game is also very good.
Another plus is that he's still young and making improvements.

He's also training with Craig Jones, who prepared Volk very well for Islams grappling.

 

[jeff7b9]

Champ- JDM
1) Sean Brady
2) Shavkat
3) Leon
4) Usman
5) Garry

Less than 24 hours ago what's his name was champ.
Now he isn't even top 5.

This sport is brutal.


I could see Belal having a Tony Ferguson like downside.

Both overachieved based on athleticism, chin, durability and cardio.

Both had 12 fight win streak.
Both lost at 36 or so.
Both lost via a fucking ass whooping and a half with major damage

JDM showed a decent blueprint for how to beat Belal by dictating angles and range of engagement, staying mobile, using lateral movement to avoid being backed to the cage.

Not sure who else has the TOOLS to do that but it will geteasier the more age and milage add up for Belal and that BEATING ain't gonna do him any favors.

 

[TITS]

They aren't updated on the site today for exact order, but by pulling out Belal, we get:
Champ- JDM
1) Sean Brady
2) Shavkat
3) Leon
4) Usman
5) Garry

JDM is too much for Islam. The way Belal couldn't keep him down gives me little reason to believe Islam could.

I have a theory that Brady has improved a lot since he lost to Belal and would be too much for Islam with his dominant grappling- Islam has not had to deal with another dominant control grappler, and this is a higher weight class. We would be seeing him on the bottom for extended periods unlike before.

Shavkat also would be too much for Islam; I don't see that going well for him, although it might be a grinder. Islam again would have to survive underneath his opponent for extended times.

Leon and Usman may have decayed bad enough to lose to Islam at this point, but if Usman is as good as he was against Khamzat, I'm not so sure. Kham is much bigger than Islam and probably more dominant as a grappler P4P.

I might call the Garry fight a draw, but Islam would be very motivated to win that fight so that he didn't get capped on by Sherbros for "losing to a cuck."

So no, I don't like Islam's chances all that well at WW and think he will struggle with fighting bigger guys in a top 5 that is relatively strong. This division has actually grown intriguing recently, as JDM, Shavkat, Garry, and Brady have emerged as top fighters. Islam picked a tough time to try to clean out the division at WW if that's what he wants to do.

You really don't know anything about Islam if you think some of these bums would be "too much" for him. Starting with JDM, he'd toss him. Same with Leon and Garry.