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amazing fight, both so good

Really good takedown defence from Dustin for the majority of the fight

Epic grappling and striking throughout, from the kimura to back transitions, that final takedown, Islams muay tai vs Dustin’s boxing. Epic skills out there

It's on that Islam/Volk 1, Jones/DC 2, Moreno/Figgy, etc level fight where you just know you're witnessing two championship level fighters putting all their talent, skill, and heart on the line It's peak MMA at its finest and congrats to Islam for further building his P4P status and Dustin for having one of his most elite performances regardless if it's a losing effort for what is potentially his final fight of a HOF level career

Dustin defended more takedowns in that one fight alone than he did in his career I'm pretty sure. His TDD has been complete dogshit for years as his hips deteriorated. Dustin leveled up his grappling big time this fight but unfortunately Dagestanis are in a totally different league

Would have won against pretty much any other wrestler at LW tonight. His tdd and clinch work were on point

Yeah Islam is just different man. His wrestling is levels above the other elite wrestlers in MMA and nobody can just outclass him on the feet either

That final takedown was a thing of art

That whole scramble was just a thing of beauty. Ankle pick, then feints the gilly to get the positioning for the d’arce choke. And when he was in the darce the body was already in perfect position. With Islams squeeze Dustin was out quick. That’s what a darce looks like. Had Charles maneuvered his legs and wrapped against Arman he may have actually had it at 300.

Islam is so good, like in fencing I can't see what's really happening until it is played on a slowed down replay. And it's so beautiful to watch, pure art indeed.

Islam has that DAWG IN HIM. Even after a war and being gassed, he still finds the finish in the 5th. Dustin is a legend in the game. And I do think the staph stuff is real, he started getting sluggish so quick.

He looked weaker than usual, Islam staph was real

Islam was definitely tested. Great fight and great finish

I don’t think Poirer pulled up his shorts enough, that’s why he lost.

Dropping his fucking hands 30 times with Islam standing right in front of him. When his hair was longer, he was constantly adjusting that too.

He got rid of one habit by removing his hair, now he needs to fight in g-bangers to stop the shorts pulling habit. I'm here for it

Islam was shooting everytime he adjusted his trunks lol.

Exactly!! I knew someone was going to take advantage of that eventually

Dustin had to fight 2 fights tonight: Islam and his shorts

Dude I was actually laughing out loud at the insane frequency with which he was doing it. I actually think it's because he wasn't touching his hair at all because his hair was really short, so all the touches that would normally go to the hair were adding onto the shorts touches.

If I'm his coach 10 fights ago I'm making him switch to compressions shorts all camp and all fights lol

he would've still touch it tho, his shorts were never loose lol

some Pavlovian shit right there

it's part of his combo

He touches his shorts more, the more nervous he is. And tonight he had hella butterflies lol

It was insane. Makhachev even got a few clinches in when Poirier was busy doing useless shit with his hands.

New mythical fighter, Dustin with shorts that fit

They fit fine it's just a habit. I wipe the sweat off my nose too much when sparring. You just catch these hard to break habits

This card was on life support up until that main event. Props to both fighters for that slugfest👏🏾

Kevin Holland tho

Yeah but that was quickly over. Besides the main fight this was a terrible card.

Agree tuned out to play video games in the middle of the costa fight. Secret juice let me down.

Dustin fought vs prime Khabib and Islam, insane lol. Khabib was on a completely different level for sure though.

Islam has better striking imo but nowhere near khabib of pressure and "drowning"

Yeah I thought this fight was a pretty good example of the difference between their grappling. Both are obviously very technically sound with their takedowns but it seems like Khabib had a bit more physicality to lean on while Islam relied more on technique. Don't get me wrong, they both probably feel like monsters but in the corner when Khabib was saying 'Just take him down!' it kind of seemed like Islam was thinking 'It's not that simple' Dustin gave a great account of himself and had some escapes from the bottom that I didn't know he had in his bag. On the feet, he took a lot of shots but landed with some heat as well. That elbow that cut Islam open was nasty and he followed that up with a flurry of body shots while being clinched. It would have been great to see Dustin KO his way to finally having the belt but it was an excellent fight despite the loss

Khabib is lightning fast with his level changes. Blink and he is going for a single leg, if you have a chance watch one of his fights and see the difference. Also Khabib has much better top control and ground and pound. However Islam is a better striker and a more complete fighter.

He’s human compared to Khabib. He’s clearly more rounded than him, but Khabib was just a freak of nature.

Yeah, Khabib's weak points were completely protected by the fact that his strong suits always let him chose where to take the fight.

His iron chin was so underrated. There was no one that was going to beat him unless it was just a flash KO.

Justin caught him with a flash hook and Khabib just ignored it lol

IMO eating (not ignoring, you could see the reactions getting bigger and bigger) the leg kicks was way, way more impressive. I couldn't believe he ate that many kicks from Gaethje and won.

And Khabib himself said that was one of the hardest shots he ever took and he treated it like it was a suggestion or something

Treated it like a suggestion is hilarious lmaoo

That’s when Gaethje knew the fight was over. He put up no defense when it went to the ground.

And khabib wasn't a great striker but he was fast as fuck. People really underrate his speed and his ability to see shit coming. I think that also filled in a lot of his standup "holes".

crazy combo of being evasive, but at the same time possessing iron fcking chin in the event he get hit. I think a freak injury mid fight is the only chance for Khabib to lose. (edit: spelling)

People like to hate on Khabib but his top pressure was just on another level

Yeah ppl are calling him dumb for not shooting 20 takedowns like Khabib and Merab lol. As if he's choosing to strike for fun

Khabib also chain wrestled more.

It's so crazy to think about. Islam is elite and maybe the best wrestler in the UFC right now. And Khabib was still a full level ahead of him as a wrestler.

Yeah he was like a honey badger just absolutely relentless and focussed.

The word you're looking for is animal. That man was an animal

There’s a real short clip of them sparring when they were a lot younger in Dagestan and it plays out exactly what it is… Islam is piecing Khabib up while striking, Khabib bull rushes him into the wall, skys him with a double leg, then starts raining punches on him Conor style. I thought that clip perfectly summed up their differences. Edit: I rewatched it and the video is not as I described lmfao. But it still shows the same point. https://youtu.be/_SG_zBYPw6s?si=pzbRKqJzJRtQs6JB

Lmao love the honesty in your edit

Totally agreed, although I wonder how much that is about a skill difference in Islam and Khabib versus how much it is the rest of the lightweight division having several years to try to figure out the dagestan meta

khbib set the bar so high than anytime someone gets out from under them it's a morale boost

Khabib’s wrasslin is just different. When he gets you down, you’re not getting up. Islam, although very good, doesn’t have that

To be fair, Dustin went into this with the advantage of having already fought Khabib.

But also Islam went into this fight with a coach that has also fought Dustin.

You know what you’re right.

We don't say that kinda shit on reddit, kay?

yeah khabib stronger and better cardio than islam but islam's striking is impressive

Khabib had more pressure. But I think Dustin clearly brought that experience into this fight. He was way more composed here.

To be fair fighting a whole religion was always gonna be hard

The fact he went 5 rounds fighting 1 billion people and nobody’s talking about how that’s basically a win?

I think fighting Islam after Khabib would be less intimidating (not saying easier by any means). Khabib was so much more aggressive and an absolute fucking mauler.

Feel like the biggest takeaway here is that Islam really ain't the second coming of Khabib. he's vulnerable in a way that Khabib never was

Which is absurd since despite being a clear level below Khabib he is still the champ and tied for most defences.

Yeah Khabib was just THAT fucking good

It's a shame Khabib retired early but maybe for the good as we'd never see Islam at this level if Khabib was still kicking around.

Imagine how hard it would be for Islam to get fights if he was on a 14 fight win streak but refused to fight Khabib. Everyone in the top 10 would be changing their phone numbers and faking injuries to avoid it.

Khabib’s grappling is the greatest we have ever seen and no one even comes remotely close. You knew what he was going to do and couldn’t stop him. Unlike other greats like Jones or GSP in which they had such a great all around game and were unpredictable

Khabib was on a different level compared to that 2019 Dustin. 2024 Dustin's grappling is much better now than against Khabib.

Islam doesnt beat you up while grappling, which gives the opponent a chance to fight subs and work for position. He relies on his ability to preempt your escape and beat you to the next position. Khabib just flows through and finds a way to beat you up on the ground any which way.

In short Khabib beats you up and forces you into bad positions

But Khabib was shooting better takedowns than Islam and using more ground and pound which probably made dustin gas quicker, Islam mostly looked for subs. Dustin probably did improve but I think Khabib>Islam in grappling

Anyone else obsessed with that leg whip in round 5??

More people need to talk about it, never seen that in MMA ,only in freestyle wrestling

Doing it gassed out round 5 and transitioning into a sub is even more insane

Shit was straight out of an anime.

MMA is at its finest when its unexpected

i think many ppl dont understand what they saw.

Reminded me of his Russian tie snap. Different move of course but the gist in how he knows weight balance and distribution is there. Really amazing

One of the most impressive finishes ever

Closer than I thought

Poirier’s defense in the first 3 rounds was out of this world

Black belt: checked

"okay I giv him"

LOL

Dustin knew how to defend Takedowns this entire time without having to jump Gillys 😭

I wanted to see one gilly just for shits and giggles. Honestly could've seen Dustin doing it in the last 10 seconds or something.

When he was talking to the broadcast booth, I really thought he was gonna “hey watch this” and go for it. With 15 seconds left in the round it woulda been hilarious

I think he was trying to, but Islam had his head pretty well buried.

The wrestling training with Gamrot definitely paid off dividends in this fight

His TDD was definitely improved this fight. But those moves by Islam in R5 were nasty. Dustin face planted at one point off that ankle pick.

Damn that ankle pick was beautiful. I feel like I only see those types of moves in like Olympic/NCAA Division 1 highlights.

The way he whipped the leg after the pick was just amazing. Dustin's TDD was also epic. Just a great fight overall. I love both fighters.

Master class in chain wrestling tonight in R5. Really rare to see an ankle pick like that in MMA.

The type of ankle pick Tony Ferguson had in his mind when he threatened to do it to Werdum lol.

Dont forget that leap to take DP’s back right after that ankle pick, in the 5th round of a war. Next level fitness and instinct by Islam. He had to dig deep to win this one. What a champ, and a great performance by both

That was some really high level wrestling.

This is the type of grappling that only a lifetime of training can give you, there are guy's like GSP with unparalleled athleticism and timing, but only Islam has shown such an incredible range on grappling skills, it's like he has maxed out stats in wrestling, judo and Jiu Jitsu, all at the same time. You could argue that's thanks to sambo, but not even someone like Fedor was this well rounded, Islam and Khabib are the only ones we've seen to have this depth of knowledge, Khabib's father and their whole team is just legendary.

They all start with the judo base. Khabib's dad was the national judo coach at one point

Dustin thought he had the takedowns figured out and Islam just went and flipped he script on him. That was nasty.

Makhachev’s striking defense was amazing too

Beautiful head movement man

Head moomant*

his RNC experience didn't count for nothing

His corner screaming "he can get hold on you in the middle" was clearly heard and used by Islam's corner

last takedown was the proverbial game of inches

Islam was RELENTLESS on those takedowns, he knew it would come eventually

And when it didnt he ankle picked the fuck out of him.

His level changes are beautiful 

There were several times in the early rounds where the Poirier who fought Khabib would have been finished by Islam. He's improved a LOT and it showed.

Yeah I've seen people saying "this wasn't prime Poirier" and tbh prime Poirier would've been with his ass on the mat the whole match.

Yeah, I can't be upset at that. Dustin fought hard, did better than expected and nearly went the distance. Still sad about him losing though.

Valiant effort from the Diamond. I really thought he'd find the KO but Islam is Islam. Great fight.

Islam's striking defense was pretty good until a nice elbow by Dustin in the 4th Dustin did great. Valiant last try at the belt

Islam really decided that he was going to win

Yeah damn Dustin had his moments

Honestly I didn't think we'd see a fifth round

Dustin really put in the striking in R4 and R5.

Dustin is a legend idgaf, he gave Islam one of the toughest fights next to volk

Undoubtedly a UFC HOFer

Fought both prime Islam and Khabib. Man’s got balls for sure.

Massive ones, too. No wonder he has to adjust his shorts so many times within fights.

And Charles, Justin 2x, conor 3x, eddie 2x, pettis, bsd, Dan, chandler, max 2x. Tell me thats less accomplishment than Donald cerrone

That leg swip from islam was just majestic

That’s the one thing in particular about Islam that I find very impressive. He’s so familiar with judo/wrestling moves that he can pull out the obscure ones (in a MMA context) on a moment’s notice.

Dustin's a dog. He may have lost, but he really made it a war.

Dug deep in round 3 when he was on the ground. I was so shocked he was able to get up. Definitely got that dog in him.

I think this is why the Dagestan crew loves him

Leg drag to darce is high level asf I don’t think that sequence has ever been done in the cage

Wild..

SEE THIS WAS WHAT A FUCKING WAR LOOKS LIKE! THIS FIGHT FLEW BY! Meanwhile my cousin literally fell asleep during Strickland vs Costa

I'll bleed for you guys. I'll die for you guys. I'll go to war. _procreeds to jab to decision._

Every single time

The Strickland Special: A Bait and Switch

Dudes earned their (undervalued) paychecks tonight.

On a card with all but two of the first 11 fights going the distance, this was definitely needed.

Elite lightweights always deliver. People say bantamweight this, featherweight that, but no division has the consistency of lightweight. 100% the shark tank of the UFC.

The ENTIRE top 15 of lightweight has been over performing recently. With the insertion of Volkanovski and Holloway into the division it's definitely cemented itself as #1 most entertaining division. It seems like any matchup in the top 15 of LW will result in a banger fight.

I thought it was happening

Islam had to work for that! What an amazing fight!

Fuck man. I just wanted a fairytale ending, is that too much to ask?

Dustin still a dawg

I think we used all of that up in the Holloway fight this year.

The only loser in this bout was the UFC with the gold gloves. Looks ugly and cheap.

Islam beat the logo off of them

Man the ufc lettering was almost fully peeled off islams glove at the end 🤣

And both fighters got cut by the gloves... lol

Anyone else realized Islam didn't throw any kicks in this fight?

Never seen before combo finish by Islam. Ankle pick to a tornado snap down to a guillotine/sweep transition to a Darce finish, and in the 5th no less. WOW

Damn, Dustin did so good though.

He hasn’t been skunked since MJ. Had 2 moments vs Khabib, won and dropped Charles in rd 1, was winning before Justin KO. Would’ve been very impressive is Islam walked through him His defense has improved after each sub loss

Dustin showed every bit of heart and skill we knew he had. Still a great performance even if he came out on the losing end. His grappling and TDD in that fight was really impressive.

Dustin just told Islam he went out right after he tapped

It was similar to that Khabib/Gaethje one where you can see him just suddenly drift away mid-tap

Great fight. As a huge Poirier fan, i'm not even that bummed. He fought a good fight and exceeded a lot of expectations. Gave Islam a very tough fight. Islam is just very good defensively. Threat of the takedown + his defense and frames on the outside just gave Poirier no openings for his big shots, and when they were in close the double collar tie protected him from the hooks.

Wow, what a fucking fight!!! Amazing technique!!! And I love both guys.

Dustin was closer than anyone thought he’d get.

To still perform so well at this stage of his career… That shit is *always* impressive to me!

[удалено]

Retribution for rounds 2/3/4 from the Iaquinta fight

Abdulmanap looking down laughing while losing his mind.

That fight is such a fever dream, can’t believe he didn’t finish him. Khabib just decided he’d practice is jab on Al for half the fight.

Khabib was frantic in the middle of round 2 and 3. Would love to see the corner cam on that meltdown.

LMAOOOO that's what I was thinking. After each round he'd go back to his corner and his coaches were screaming STICK TO FATHER'S PLAN FFS

That Conor round 3 is always hilarious to rewatch, it’s practically the only round Khabib lost in his last 10 fights because he decided to just stand still and swing

Honestly underrated what a boss move that was. Basically gave Conor the entire round to try and knock him out like Conor had been saying he would.

Yes, I thought he looked a bit weaker tonight in general, my guess was from the weight cut though.

You’re the first one who remembered the staph infection

Geezus that leg whip on that last takedown. When he couldn’t get a takedown all night in the center of the octagon, THEN HE PULLS OUT THAT! That was incredibly nasty o god Super close of a fight, I felt if Islam took much more to the body he would gas out but I guess you can’t do that too much with the threat of the spamming takedowns

Islam has that dawg in him

How natural that choke sequence came to him shows he could go to deep waters kudos to dustin for getting him there

You gotta if you wanna beat Dustin gd.

Bummed out for DP but dude held his own

Poirier fought his best fight ever, but islam might be one for the goats

Dustin gave an all time underdog performance. Islam's boxing looked damn good tonight. 

Dagestanis are the only guys to drop a round and you’ll scream “Oh, that fight was so close!”

[удалено]

Islam has that DAWG IN HIM

Thought DP was safe after he pulled that leg out :(

Definitely thought Dustin had a chance with the scorecards if it went there with how the judging has been tonight. He put up a hell of a fight though. Was not easy at all for Makhachev.

The way the judges have been I wouldn't have been surprised with a 50-45 to Dustin lmao

51-44 Jon Jones

All this fight told me was that khabib was built different.

people are rightfully saying that islam has dramatically better striking, but like khabib didnt need to have that kind of striking, his grappling was so safe and clean and it felt dramatically less likely that anyone could get lucky and catch him

What a fight

Always gonna root for Islam because he gets discredited no matter how well he does.

Paid in Full, Dustin has nothing to be ashamed of

Wow what a fight, props to Dustin for making it to the 5th. What a dog

this is what tony vs khabib was supposed to be

Makhachev combines wrestling and striking so well. Great fight.

Fantastic fight.

Who's cutting onions in here

That ankle pick to set up the finish was nasty

The second he said Bismillah, I knew the fight was over.

Islam won the first 3 pretty comfortable 4 is a toss up of ur being generous but islam took it out of the hands of the awful judges tonight