Islam Makhachev is the best lightweight in the world, according to Daniel Cormier.
On May 15, 2021, Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira will face off in UFC 262 for the lightweight championship title.
Many fans expect that the current champion will retain his title against the winner of the Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor 3 battle, which has evolved into a mini-tournament.
Cormier believes Makhachev will be a success
In the absence of Khabib Nurmagomdov, Cormier was asked during a pre-event panel on UFC’s YouTube channel if the winner of Saturday night’s UFC 262 main event will be named the best lightweight on the world.
Surprisingly, Cormier responded in the following manner.
“I believe the best Lightweight in the world is Islam Makhachev. I like Dustin Poirier, he’s my guy, but I believe Islam is the best lightweight in the world. He’s the best,” said Daniel Cormier.
Though his time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship hasn’t been without bumps, Makhachev now seems to be on his way to greatness in the 155-pound division.
He’s won seven fights straight. The most recent of which was a spectacular submission victory over Drew Dober at UFC 259 earlier this year.
Now, in an unexpected turn of events, Makhachev will face Thiago Moises on July 17 to try to prove himself to the fans once more.
It’s a difficult discussion to have when it comes to determining who the best Lightweight in the world actually is. We’ve obviously excluded Khabib because of his retirement, but as Cormier said, Poirier has to be one of the top contenders.
Only a few people are aware of the true struggle he has faced. Poirier has surely seen more than Cormier. The former two-time UFC champion has also spent a lot of time watching Makhachev grow as a boxer.
We’re excited to see whether Makhachev will live up to the excitement in one of the most packed divisions in all of mixed martial arts.
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