Islam Makhachev established himself as a legitimate lightweight contender with an emphatic submission win over Thiago Moises in the main event at UFC Vegas 31. After his eighth consecutive win in a row, Makhachev proceeded to call out Rafael dos Anjos who is currently ranked No.6 on the lightweight ladder.
No.8-ranked Dan Hooker was surprised that Islam Makhachev missed out on his name in the post-fight callout. ‘The Hangman’ took to Twitter in the immediate aftermath of the fight to issue a challenge to the Dagestani sambo artist. Challenging Islam Makhachev to ‘say his name,’ Dan Hooker wrote on Twitter:
Islam Makhachev put on yet another dominant grappling display against Thiago Moises in the main event at UFC Vegas 31. Even more impressive was the fact that Makhachev seemed to be finding as much success in the stand-up exchanges as well.
The youngest fighter on the card, Moises put on an immense display of heart trying to defend against the suffocating pressure from Makhachev. However, Islam Makhhchev eventually softened up the 26-year old enough to sink in a RNC at 02:38 of round four.
In the lead-up up to his UFC Vegas 31 showdown against Thiago Moises, Islam Makhachev was asked about a potential fight against ‘The Hangman’. Dismissing the idea, Makhachev told the media:
“Dan Hooker posted something today, ‘If Islam won this fight and called me’, but who is Dan Hooker, you know? Now he’s number eight. In his last six fights, he lost three times. I need someone who will bring me to call for the belt, but I don’t think Hooker is a big step for me.”
Islam Makhachev will probably overtake Dan Hooker in the lightweight rankings after his most recent victory, further diminishing the chances of a fight between the two.
