Stephen Thompson has named three major points that could help welterweight contenders solve the Islam Makhachev puzzle.
Makhachev moved up to 170 pounds last year. In his debut, he dethroned Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 to become the undisputed welterweight titleholder and also regained his pound-for-pound spot.
He’s expected to make his first title defense in August against Ian Machado Garry. Other than Garry, Michael Morales, Carlos Prates, and Kamaru Usman are also in the mix for a title shot.
Meanwhile, the 43-year-old Thompson has some advice that can help Makhachev’s future opponents.
How to beat Islam Makhachev? Stephen Thompson weighs in
During an interview with Full Mount MMA, Stephen Thompson, while breaking down 3 factors to keep in mind to defeat Islam Makhachev, first pointed to cardio as the biggest one. He said:
“Islam is the type of guy to make a fight very, very, very grueling to his opponent, right? Guys like Islam, guys like Khabib, they try to break your spirit… For a coach, their cardio has to be there. They have to be mentally, physically, emotionally ready for the most grueling fight ever and have the cardio for it. Kind of like what Strickland did against Khamzat.”
Makhachev has always been known for his insane cardio, dating back to his lightweight days. Before moving up to welterweight, there were concerns that adding the extra 15 pounds could slow him down and affect his gas tank. But at UFC 322, after a dominant performance against Jack Della Maddalena, Makhachev announced his arrival in the new weight class in emphatic fashion and left no room for critics.
The second point “Wonderboy” pointed out is that anyone facing Makhachev must have great movement and fight IQ. Staying in one spot for too long makes it easier for the Dagestani wrestling maestro to shoot for takedowns and try to drag his opponent to the ground. Hence, to avoid that, a fighter has to reset continuously. He added:
“Two, you’ve got to be very hard to hit, very hard to nail down in one spot. If you stand there long enough, they’re going to get to your legs.”
Lastly, according to Stephen Thompson, the third and most important thing to keep in mind when facing Islam Makhachev is having effective close-range striking. “Wonderboy” opined that whenever the Russian tries to close the distance for takedowns or submissions, opponents must be ready to punish him with ‘elbows and knees on the inside.’
“And then it’s going to be their last line of defense, their knees and elbows, that close-range striking to make them pay for trying to get on the inside… I think Carlos Prates is very good at that with his elbows and knees.
Check out Stephen Thompson’s comments about how to beat Islam Makhachev below: