Ali Abdelaziz, manager of Islam Makhachev, has boldly claimed the Russian lightweight champion is the greatest living fighter on the planet. On top of that, he even believes Makhachev would have no issue defeating the likes of Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk in a fight.
Makhachev is set to put Abdelaziz’s comments to the test this weekend when he faces fan favorite Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 302. The bout marks the third time Makhachev will be putting 155-pound title on the line, and he faces an opponent who is desperate to finally secure undisputed status.
Ahead of Makhachev’s bout against Poirier, the Dominance MMA CEO spoke to Grind City Media’s John Morgan about his client and the legacy he and other Dagestani fighters are leaving on MMA.
According to Abdelaziz, Islam Makhachev is undoubtedly the best fighter on the planet, and he is confident he would have no issue putting away other elite talent. He also believes that once Makhachev’s time is up, another Dagestani fighter will take over the mantle as the GOAT of fighting. He explained:
“After Islam, Omar [Nurmagomedov] will become a champion, after him, Usman [Nurmagomedov] will become a champion. These guys complete each other’s legacy, no jealousy. It’s us, it’s brotherhood.”
He continued:
“Now it’s Islam time…Islam Makhachev is the greatest fighter living in combat sports, he’s the pound for pound king. He can beat, Usyk’s a**, Tyson Fury’s a**…I believe Makhachev can beat the welterweight champ, the middleweight champ right now. He might even beat Alex Pereira right now too.”
Catch Ali Abdelaziz’s comments here (5:10):