Dustin Poirier recently made a daring claim in regards to the size difference between him and Islam Makhachev at UFC 302.
Last June, Makhachev admitted that his move to welterweight was difficult because his body was used to cutting weight fairly than putting it on.
Any concerns in regards to the former lightweight champion’s ability to compete in the next division went away after Makhachev dominated Jack Della Maddalena in November to win the 170-pound gold.
Poirier’s experience of difficult the Russian in 2024 suggests that he had no doubts about whether going up would suit his former opponent.
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Islam Makhachev says he hasn’t weighed greater than 176 kilos contained in the Octagon despite Dustin Poirier’s comments
Dustin Poirier was submitted by Islam Makhachev following a valiant effort in his final shot at winning the lightweight title.
During a recent appearance on Joe Rogan’s JRE MMA Show, ‘The Diamond’ recalled looking across at his opponent before the bout began and pondering, “f—, this guy’s huge.”
“I used to be in his [Hunter Campbell] office not too way back, they usually keep a record of all of the weights [from] fight night,” Poirier revealed. “They don’t release all of it, but they keep it.
“We were talking in regards to the Islam fight after I fought Islam, and he was telling me about his weight, and I used to be like that’s insane. 192 [pounds] or something, I believe. I believe so. 190, 191, something around there. I used to be 176 [pounds].”
The welterweight champion didn’t wait long before he countered his former title challenger’s comments about his huge weight gain from stepping on the scales to walking into the Octagon.
“I’ve never weighed greater than 80kg (176 kilos) ever,” Makhachev wrote in his Telegram channel.
It’s definitely not unusual for fighters to chop a number of weight before putting a great amount back on before they compete.
Last yr, Alex Pereira weighed in at 232.4 kilos lower than 24 hours after he dropped all the way down to 205 for his light heavyweight title rematch with Magomed Ankalaev.
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It wasn’t just size and strength that saw Islam Makhachev submit Dustin Poirier
Islam Makhachev’s size and strength could have been vital aspects in his win over Dustin Poirier however it’s his technique that received probably the most compliments.
The lightweight champion produced a surprising brabo choke in the ultimate round that ‘The Diamond’ was filled with praise for during his recent JRE MMA Show appearance.
He described Makhachev’s squeeze as “completely different”, explaining that the best way he does the submission signifies that the adjustment you’d often try and create space to breathe doesn’t work.
“When he gets the grip locked in, it’s complete, immediate blood shut down,” Poirier said. “You understand the way you often feel it slowly fading away? It was like quick, straight away. The darkness began coming in as soon as he got the grip.”