Joe Rogan has lengthy been an enormous fan of Khabib Nurmagomedov and is an advocate for him being one of many best of all time. Regardless of his admiration of Khabib, Rogan has revealed why he believes Islam Makhachev to be the higher fighter.
‘The Eagle’ is undoubtedly the most effective athletes to step foot into the octagon. A dominant light-weight that retired with out tasting defeat, one thing extraordinary on the highest degree of blended martial arts.
Whereas Khabib Nurmagomedov’s capacity to close opponents down along with his wrestling was far past what we had seen earlier than, his predecessor, Islam Makhachev, has extra weapons, based on Joe Rogan. Talking concerning the Dagestani elite throughout a latest episode of his podcast, Rogan singled out Makhachev’s placing as the important thing think about what makes him a special degree than Khabib.
“Khabib is no doubt one of many all-time greats,” Rogan stated. “One of many best to ever do it.”
“However the distinction between Khabib and Islam is Islam is elite standup-wise. Khabib was excellent standup, however Islam knocked out Volkanovski with a head kick. That is not in Khabib’s repertoire.”
After a razor-close first battle between the 2, Islam Makhachev put his light-weight title on the road towards Alexander Volkanovski for a second time at UFC 294.
Many anticipated the conflict to be very similar to their first assembly, however Makhachev showcased his capabilities along with his placing. A left excessive kick put Volkanovski down earlier than the Russian ended the battle with a barrage of hammerfists.
This is not the primary time his placing has been on show. Makhachev dropped Charles Oliveira earlier than submitting him to seize UFC light-weight gold and subsequently put an finish to Oliveira’s 11-fight win streak.
“Islam is on one other degree,” Rogan continued. “It is like yet one more degree above. He can knock you out standing, he can knock you out on the bottom. He can submit you. He can take you down. He is f***ing enormous for the burden class, particularly at 155.”
“There’s so many elements, and also you’re at all times serious about that grappling once you’re placing.”
Over the previous 30 years of its progress, MMA has seen a gentle incline in fighter capacity.
The early years noticed specialists discovering main success. A pure wrestler with no placing background might dominate his weight class, or a knockout artist might attain the head of the game with out actually being examined in all areas of his sport.
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Immediately, that is not the case. The extent of competitors is way larger, and Joe Rogan believes we’re in an period the place the perfect fighters reside. The brand new-age fighters know all sides of combating earlier than they even enter the UFC, and Islam Makhachev is main the way in which for the present era of fighters.
“There’s so many guys that you might be taught from by watching, they usually set the bar so excessive and that’s the distinction between watching, like, Keith Hackney vs. Emmanuel Yarbrough method again in 1993 vs. watching Jon Jones in 2025,” Rogan stated.
“It is like we get to see now these guys which have seen all of it. The Petr Yans, the Ilia Topurias, the Islam Makhachevs.”
Petr Yan, Ilia Topuria, and Islam Makhachev are all prime examples of how far the game has are available in such a short while.
Makhachev has particularly confirmed which you could nonetheless concentrate on an space of combating and, on the similar time, haven’t any holes in your sport.
“You get to see the elite of the elite right now, and these younger children which might be arising now, they get to see that and be taught from that and incorporate all this stuff,” Rogan added.
“You are seeing these guys which might be combating on Dana White’s Contender Collection, they appear world championship-caliber fighters, they usually’re not even within the UFC but.”
