Islam Makhachev
Naturally Makhachev finds himself on the listing as a result of he’s a defending champion, and the distinction between holding a UFC title and never is dramatically totally different when it comes to publicity, respect, pay, and a plethora of different variables.
However this struggle for Makhachev when it comes to legacy is essential, and all of the strain is on him given he particularly requested for Poirier as a result of he was probably the most out there contender.
Makhachev brings a 13-fight profitable streak into his title protection vs. Poirier, and traditionally crossing that hurdle into 14 straight victories has been a problem.
5 fighters in UFC historical past have seen their runs halted at 13 fights, whereas Kamaru Usman (15) and Anderson Silva (16) are the one names to ever cross the edge. Placing himself in that firm can be big for Makhachev.
Moreover, Makhachev can assert his title within the dialog with probably the most profitable 155-pound champions of all time by getting this hand raised. His mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson at present all share the report for many consecutive title defenses within the division at three, and with a win Makhachev set himself as much as break the divisional report later this yr.
Lastly, Makhachev is competing to protect the No. 1 pound-for-pound standing within the official UFC rankings that clearly means a lot to him.
It’s all on the desk for the champ. The upside for historical past is big for this explicit struggle, and though Poirier is beloved and a harmful foe, it will be a success to Makhachev’s standing if he loses to a hand-selected opponent that his workforce claims he can beat “wherever.”
