What does Islam need to do to please you?

[flektarn]

fight ilia arman or charles and then vacate and move up.
if he fights gaethje and then moves up he can go choke on a dick.

 

[Orochimaru 大蛇丸]

It's actually one of the fights I really wanna see. And I am confident in Gaethje here and think he would do well. Islam is not Khabib and I think Gaethje performs much better in this fight.

Fiziev took him down on a week notice… what could possibly make you think Islam couldn’t?

 

[Egészségére!]

Beat Justin, Chandler, Gamrot, Beniel, Fiziev, BSD & Pimblett in the next 2-3 years

 

[Sean Chowdhury]

They want him to fight a FW who has no ranked wins at LW so once he wins they can say it was another FW title defense.

 

[JKS]

Fiziev took him down on a week notice… what could possibly make you think Islam couldn’t?

Oh I am not saying he couldn't, I am sure Islam will get a few TDs. But we know there is more to a fight than just that. Plenty of fights where a fighter goes 3 for 7 on TDs or 2 for 3 but still ends up losing. And with Fiziev, it wasn't expected as he's a striker, he surprised Gaethje, but the control time was non existent. With Islam it will be expected so Gaethje will certainly look out for it and prepare well.

I would still pick Islam to win this fight by submission. But I think Gaethje has a shot here and can certanily win as well. I wouldnt count him out.

 

[Rubios]

(I'm the OP)

Islam would've fought Charles (rematch, Olives got injured), JG (he was the #1 contender but got brutally slept @ 300, fought Dustin instead) and Arman, who pulled out 48h from the fight.

If they pull out or aren't ready, it's not his fault.

Ilia is the hot name currently. Years from now, it would be another "FW moving up" asterisk.

The only business he would left unfinished @ 155 is Arman. I hope they get to fight.

BUT if he eventually faces Shavkat @ 170... I believe this base is covered, don't you?

 

[Orochimaru 大蛇丸]

Oh I am not saying he couldn't, I am sure Islam will get a few TDs. But we know there is more to a fight than just that. Plenty of fights where a fighter goes 3 for 7 on TDs or 2 for 3 but still ends up losing. And with Fiziev, it wasn't expected as he's a striker, he surprised Gaethje, but the control time was non existent. With Islam it will be expected so Gaethje will certainly look out for it and prepare well.

I would still pick Islam to win this fight by submission. But I think Gaethje has a shot here and can certanily win as well. I wouldnt count him out.

Anyone can win, but for fighters at this level it would be an easy, uninteresting fight for Islam imo

Gaethje’s BJJ sucks, not getting taken down would be his only chance

 

[TR1]

Just fight more often. That’s it. Inactivity is holding him back from being a star.

Islam fights plenty often for a modern day champion.

 

[NoSmilez]

Fight Shavkat. I think he is too small for 185. I just want to see him take some risks. I think he has a stylistic advantage against Shavkat so the fight will be evenly matched. I don't mind Islam fighting Belal but I don't think they will fight each other.

 

[TR1]

It's the same as all the other dagi guys. They never fight and they never defend the belt of they get it and there resumes are always sub par. They don't fight enough they always fight guys barely fringe top 5

Horseshit. If they don't fight "anyone" how do they become champs and then hold the belt?
1.) Islam fights plenty for a modern day champ. 2
2.) He has wins over half the top 10 lmao.

What other fighters are you even talking about?
Ankalaev? He had to fight like 80% of the LHW roster before becoming champ, and again, fights regularly enough for a modern day champ (~2 fights a year).

 

[Hymen Crusher]

Horseshit. If they don't fight "anyone" how do they become champs and then hold the belt?
1.) Islam fights plenty for a modern day champ. 2
2.) He has wins over half the top 10 lmao.

What other fighters are you even talking about?
Ankalaev? He had to fight like 80% of the LHW roster before becoming champ, and again, fights regularly enough for a modern day champ (~2 fights a year).

All of them the entire country of Russia is who I'm talking about. Islam has 1 defense against a legit lw and that dude is about to retire

 

[Qays Stetkevich]

Just fight more often. That’s it. Inactivity is holding him back from being a star.

Pretty much agree. Doing that once would cement him. And I wouldn't recommend most fighters do that (i.e., it's too risky), but Islam wins convincingly enough, and without taking much damage, that I think he could (have) managed it fairly easily.

 

[Pequeño Corey]

A bit of context.
Islam has the record for most LW defenses*, is one win away to match AS' record** and the #1 P4P since a long time.

*He won the belt convincingly, to say the least, against Charles. When he fought Volk the first time, that fight made total sense: Volk had 4 defenses, just put a clinic on Max, and was considered by many (including me) as the best UFC fighter back then.
In fact, Volk kept the #1 P4P and came down again to defend against Yair beating him easily.

Even if Charles just had two defenses (I'm counting the one vs JG even if he didn't make weight), Islam accepted a rematch.
But Charles got injured and he faced Volk on short notice. Bad decision from Volk, not his fault.

He should've fought Gaethje, the #1 contender, but he got badly KOed @ 300. Not his fault.
So he fought Dustin.

He should've fought Arman, but he pulled out. Not his fault.
I'm sure Islam and his team asked for and immediate date vs Arman, but Dana did what Dana does and punished Arman to "deserve" another shot.

People insist that he needs to fight Ilia. Ilia is hot right now, and rightfully so, but once the dust settles Volk will stand as the #2 FW ever (#1 even if he gets to regain the belt). Years from now, if Islam fought Ilia, it will loom against him as "another FW moving up".

**I know it's Jones, but the record books say otherwise.


I believe Belal will beat JDM, so Islam will fight again @ 155. I hope it's against Arman, as he is IMO the only stone unturned.

But if JDM becomes champ, he moves up and becomes double champ, Shavkat is next.
Doesn't Shavkat makes up for the Arman fight?

He’s quite a ways from Anderson’s record. The one that actually matters. Consecutive title defenses.

He can either hang back at LW and keep beating everyone, or move up and fight Blahal. Not sure what he does after that. If he hangs back and beats some WW contenders, that would be cool. But he probably won’t. I’m predicting a Khabib-like departure and then endless whingeing from the bathtub collective about how he’s the GOAT.

Would be nice to see him fight 3x a year before he retires, though.

 

[krelianx]

He's only two or three defenses away from consolidating himself as the greatest LW of all time imo. Everything from thereon after is just approaching GOATness territority in the tier of the GSPs, DJs, Fedors, Jones, Andersons, etc. Of which there only a few. Of course if he goes up and wins the WW strap that catapults his status.

 

[NicholasJBasile]

A bit of context.
Islam has the record for most LW defenses*, is one win away to match AS' record** and the #1 P4P since a long time.

*He won the belt convincingly, to say the least, against Charles. When he fought Volk the first time, that fight made total sense: Volk had 4 defenses, just put a clinic on Max, and was considered by many (including me) as the best UFC fighter back then.
In fact, Volk kept the #1 P4P and came down again to defend against Yair beating him easily.

Even if Charles just had two defenses (I'm counting the one vs JG even if he didn't make weight), Islam accepted a rematch.
But Charles got injured and he faced Volk on short notice. Bad decision from Volk, not his fault.

He should've fought Gaethje, the #1 contender, but he got badly KOed @ 300. Not his fault.
So he fought Dustin.

He should've fought Arman, but he pulled out. Not his fault.
I'm sure Islam and his team asked for and immediate date vs Arman, but Dana did what Dana does and punished Arman to "deserve" another shot.

People insist that he needs to fight Ilia. Ilia is hot right now, and rightfully so, but once the dust settles Volk will stand as the #2 FW ever (#1 even if he gets to regain the belt). Years from now, if Islam fought Ilia, it will loom against him as "another FW moving up".

**I know it's Jones, but the record books say otherwise.


I believe Belal will beat JDM, so Islam will fight again @ 155. I hope it's against Arman, as he is IMO the only stone unturned.

But if JDM becomes champ, he moves up and becomes double champ, Shavkat is next.
Doesn't Shavkat makes up for the Arman fight?

He has been pleasing me for a long time already

 

[Mr.Maelstrom]

There's really nothing he can do to become a fan fave, the fans who like him and enjoy his fights will continue to and the ones who don't most likely will never come around.

There are the Coutures, and there are Sylvias in this sport.
Some guys get massive love despite multiples losses while others go on long runs of defenses and stay underappreciated despite achieving the exact same accolades.

If Islam were to capture gold at 170, I think he'd get the kinda buzz he deserves but even that is debatable.

 

[Tweak896]

Islams done more than any other LW champ to prove himself. The FW argument is dumb. Beating Volk 2x, Olivera, and Dustin is a great streak. If LWs were good then we wouldn't be more excited to see him against a FW. Also for the past couple years everyone has been pushing nothing but rematches his way (Olivera, Volk, Arman) and I think that's even worse poison as a champ.

 

[moosaev]

A bit of context.
Islam has the record for most LW defenses*, is one win away to match AS' record** and the #1 P4P since a long time.

*He won the belt convincingly, to say the least, against Charles. When he fought Volk the first time, that fight made total sense: Volk had 4 defenses, just put a clinic on Max, and was considered by many (including me) as the best UFC fighter back then.
In fact, Volk kept the #1 P4P and came down again to defend against Yair beating him easily.

Even if Charles just had two defenses (I'm counting the one vs JG even if he didn't make weight), Islam accepted a rematch.
But Charles got injured and he faced Volk on short notice. Bad decision from Volk, not his fault.

He should've fought Gaethje, the #1 contender, but he got badly KOed @ 300. Not his fault.
So he fought Dustin.

He should've fought Arman, but he pulled out. Not his fault.
I'm sure Islam and his team asked for and immediate date vs Arman, but Dana did what Dana does and punished Arman to "deserve" another shot.

People insist that he needs to fight Ilia. Ilia is hot right now, and rightfully so, but once the dust settles Volk will stand as the #2 FW ever (#1 even if he gets to regain the belt). Years from now, if Islam fought Ilia, it will loom against him as "another FW moving up".

**I know it's Jones, but the record books say otherwise.


I believe Belal will beat JDM, so Islam will fight again @ 155. I hope it's against Arman, as he is IMO the only stone unturned.

But if JDM becomes champ, he moves up and becomes double champ, Shavkat is next.
Doesn't Shavkat makes up for the Arman fight?

He needs to convert to Christianity. Simple.

 

[ocfightfan]

He needs to change his name to Christian.

 

[RockyLockridge]

I'd like to see him fight the number 1 contender at LW just once