Media Mendez: Islam is the best LW on the planet right now

[Young Calf Kick]

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credits @Young Calf Kick

 

[Habib The Eagle]

Not really..honest about Islam and khabib because the talent speaks for itself. But he's not honest in other regards. He's kinda full of himself to be honest. Good coach though. Hard to argue with the results he's had but he does play the politics and promotions when talking about the rest of the fighters he has

In what way is he full of himself? I have never seen a coach more humble then Javier Mendez. I listen to his podcast, have done few with Mike Swick, follow him on social media. Very good man.

Dont think Khabib/team and his father would have chosen AKA if Javier was full of himself. I have never seen a coach that gives credit to his fighters opponent like Jav. Hes always honest.

 

[mmadeewana]

"Khabib is more dominant than Islam and Islam is more technical"
This is what i have always felt.

 

[TheOneAboveAll3]

Javier is a straight shooter, as honest as they come

No bias from you as well.

 

[TheOneAboveAll3]

"Khabib is more dominant than Islam and Islam is more technical"
This is what i have always felt.

So islam is Kahbib version -2.0

 

[moosaev]

He has 3 decent wins in a row. Seems he's ranked about right to me.

Moises wouldn't be ranked if two things didn't happen: Paul Felder officially retiring, and Islam Makhachev choosing to fight him. Rankings are largely used as a marketing tool to promote upcoming fights, so his current ranking is a bit deceptive. If it were based purely off ability then Arman Tsaryukan should probably be ranked just above Moises, and Islam should be ranked higher than Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson.

I'm not saying Moises is a bum, but there is a reason why most of us were disappointed when this fight was booked. Islam should get a tougher test than Moises, he's already beat 3 guys that are roughly the same ability Moises: Tsaryukan, Ramos, and Dober. He need another bump in talent level to get tested against.

 

[Docrob2354]

I don't expect Islam to ever get anywhere near the belt unless he switches weight-classes.

Hes the lone grappler (yes I know Gillespie is there) in a top fifteen of strikers. None of them for obvious reasons are going to want to take him on and its hard to blame them.

Islam should move to 170 where the top 15 is majority grapplers.

ahead of him are Dos Anjos, Ferguson and Dariush, and the Champ, all excellent grapplers. Also, Chandler and Gaethje have strong wrestling.

 

[Hollywood Jack]

Moises wouldn't be ranked if two things didn't happen: Paul Felder officially retiring, and Islam Makhachev choosing to fight him. Rankings are largely used as a marketing tool to promote upcoming fights, so his current ranking is a bit deceptive. If it were based purely off ability then Arman Tsaryukan should probably be ranked just above Moises, and Islam should be ranked higher than Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson.

I'm not saying Moises is a bum, but there is a reason why most of us were disappointed when this fight was booked. Islam should get a tougher test than Moises, he's already beat 3 guys that are roughly the same ability Moises: Tsaryukan, Ramos, and Dober. He need another bump in talent level to get tested against.

I hear you, but I doubt there's anyone else in the top 15 able and willing to fight him. I actually still think Moises should be ranked ahead of Arman (I think Moises has better wins in the UFC) and Arman already got beat by Islam. ALL of the fighters ranked ahead of Islam have absolutely ZERO reason to accept a fight with him and the ones in the top 15 ranked below him have the same reason or other reasons not to fight him.

Even someone like Kevin Lee who is ranked below Islam and Islam might be a good stylistic match up for him. If you look into it, Lee was scheduled to fight this Saturday but had to pull out due to injury and is rescheduled for Fight Night 192 in late August. Also, he's fighting at 170. He might not really be able to make 155 anymore and he's failed SEVERAL times trying to do so. So he's fighting Sean Brady who's ranked #14 at 170. And if he wins, he probably permanently stays at 170.

 

[moosaev]

I hear you, but I doubt there's anyone else in the top 15 able and willing to fight him. I actually still think Moises should be ranked ahead of Arman (I think Moises has better wins in the UFC) and Arman already got beat by Islam. ALL of the fighters ranked ahead of Islam have absolutely ZERO reason to accept a fight with him and the ones in the top 15 ranked below him have the same reason or other reasons not to fight him.

Even someone like Kevin Lee who is ranked below Islam and Islam might be a good stylistic match up for him. If you look into it, Lee was scheduled to fight this Saturday but had to pull out due to injury and is rescheduled for Fight Night 192 in late August. Also, he's fighting at 170. He might not really be able to make 155 anymore and he's failed SEVERAL times trying to do so. So he's fighting Sean Brady who's ranked #14 at 170. And if he wins, he probably permanently stays at 170.

I disagree that Moises has better wins than Tsaryukan. Their win quality is virtually identical IMO, not much to separate them. I also don't know why the Islam loss should be held against Arman, it was his first fight in the UFC and he acquitted himself very well.

 

[Ackmed]

Because they absolutely should have been facing a guy who until comparatively recently wasn't ranked himself right?

Oliveira was ranked close to Islam but moved up after beating FKL and Tony. UFC didn't let Islam fight FKL at the time because they needed FKL to be the main event opponent for their Brazil event vs Oliveira

 

[Ackmed]

he needs to step up in competition... his best win is Drew Dober by far....dunno why ufc keeps feeding him lower-ranked guys.

Javier addresses this and I put it in the Cliffs:

"- LWs decline fighting Islam because they hear from experts who watch him train that he's a beast"

This should change soon as he'll be on an 8 fight win streak after Moises and UFC will likely pressure higher ranked fighters

 

[Cameron]

I promise you Moises will be a tough challenge

I agree but tough doesn't mean he won't win. His last fight was dominant as hell

 

[Ackmed]

No he didn't, saying Islam is the best LW. That doesn't just mean the rest can be less. It can also mean they are all equal.
You failed probability? I thought Russians are supposed to be good at math.

Lol I'm not Russian and this has nothing to do with Math but common sense tells us Javier doesn't think every single LW at AKA is equal to Islam and they are all the best on the planet...he says in the same interview that Islam is smashing everyone in training

 

[Ackmed]

Not really..honest about Islam and khabib because the talent speaks for itself. But he's not honest in other regards. He's kinda full of himself to be honest. Good coach though. Hard to argue with the results he's had but he does play the politics and promotions when talking about the rest of the fighters he has

Examples of Javier's dishonesty?

 

[Ackmed]

This guy said 5'3" Deron Winn was the next DC lolz

DC is Height4Height GOAT and Deron Winn is pretty good for his height too...he probably hasn't lost to anyone within a few inches taller than him?

 

[kingmob6]

Javier held the same line about Islam anytime I heard him talk about him. You pretty much get the same reaction to anyone who has seen him practice and spar. Something tells me Javier is not sugar-coating anything, he truly believes that Islam is the best in the world, and looking at his pedigree its easy to see why. Once Islam gets 1-2 top ten opponents, even his unbelievers will be converted.

 

[Ackmed]

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credits @Young Calf Kick

Lol Islam was in the thread title, everyone knew what the thread was about

 

[Ackmed]

Here's biased and dishonest Darren Till lol

 

[Hollywood Jack]

I disagree that Moises has better wins than Tsaryukan. Their win quality is virtually identical IMO, not much to separate them. I also don't know why the Islam loss should be held against Arman, it was his first fight in the UFC and he acquitted himself very well.

I'm not holding that loss against him at all, just noting it since it helps explain why he's fighting Moises rather than Arman again.

 

[moosaev]

I'm not holding that loss against him at all, just noting it since it helps explain why he's fighting Moises rather than Arman again.

Fair enough.

At the end of the day if Makhachev handles Moises he'll still have his doubters. It will tell us virtually nothing about him. That's why i was disappointed by the booking. That being said, the UFC should reward Islam as though he beat a top 10 guy, because the other top 10s don't wanna fight.