Islam Makhachev is set to return to action next month when he faces Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311. It will mark his first appearance in the octagon since June when he defeated Dustin Poirier via fifth-round submission to defend his lightweight title for the third time.
The lightweight champion recently weighed in on ‘The Diamond’ getting praise despite being finished. Speaking to Daniel Cormier of ESPN MMA, Makhachev stated:
Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments on Dustin Poirier’s improvement in the wrestling department below:
👏🤝Islam Makchachev: Honestly, Dustin Poirier improved his wrestling skills a lot… and he gave me hard time.
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“Honestly, Dustin improved his wrestling game a lot because always he have that trouble with the wrestling fighters who have good skills, wrestling skills. That’s why I think he did a good job in the camp. He improved his defense and he gave me a hard time.
On being asked if the bout was hard, Islam Makhachev responded:
“Yes, it was hard, but it’s a very good fight for the fans and big experience for me, also.”
Poirier received plenty of praise for his ability to defend takedowns for much of the bout. Makhachev, considered among the best wrestlers in the sport, was able to land just five of his 16 takedown attempts. Ultimately, however, the lightweight champion got the job done with a fifth-round submission.