UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev feels there could be a case of history repeating itself in his next title defence.
The dominant Dagestani will face fan favourite Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 302 at New Jersey’s Prudential Center next month. And Makhachev may have to call on the teachings of his old mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, who stopped the American in 2019.
The beloved Poirier has scrambled his way back to one last shot at lightweight gold after two previous losing efforts. And he will put it all, including maybe his career, on the line against Makhachev in Newark this summer.
Khabib Nurmagomedov submitted Dustin Poirier in previous meeting
In one of Nurmagomedov’s most famous lightweight title defences at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi, he submitted Poirier in the second round. The American had been crowned interim champion after beating Max Holloway earlier in the year, and the long-awaited showdown was seen as a massive test.
Poirier even came within inches of getting a finish of his own when in the second round he pulled guillotine and found himself gripping to the neck of Nurmagomedov. But he never fully got the choke in, and tired himself out in the process allowing himself to be stopped moments later.
Since then, Poirier has kept up that attempted guillotine regularly in fights, although it has found similar success or a lack thereof. And he has vowed to do the same against Makhachev when they fight on June 1 in New Jersey.
Islam Makhachev predicts he will ‘finish’ Dustin Poirier after choke attempt
Makhachev is already aware that he should expect a guillotine from Poirier, and is planning to recreate the situation that happened in that famous UFC 242 fight. Speaking with Yahoo Sports, he predicted that he will get the finish shortly after a similarly unsuccessful attempt at the choke.
“We will start and I will try to take him down,” Makhachev said. “He will try to get me in a guillotine. I will defend the guillotine. I will give him a couple punches. He will give his back. Then I will finish.”
At a later stage in the interview, Makhachev noted that it must be a successful manoeuvre in the gym, given that it has yet to work in a fight. “I think in training he must finish a lot of guys this way,” he added. “If he didn’t, I think he would stop.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov left secret message to Islam Makhachev before Dustin Poirier fight
The current lightweight champion has also claimed that Nurmagomedov knew what was in store when he faced Poirier, and had planned it in advance. He says that they were expecting such a choke, and that he was asked to administer it during the warm-up so his mentor could show him how it would work.
During a recent appearance on Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen’s Good Guy/Bad Guy show on ESPN he told an unheard story from backstage at that famed Abu Dhabi event. He claims that giving up the guillotine position was pre-planned in an effort to exhaust Poirier in the later rounds.
“Before the fight, I swear to God Khabib told me, ‘hey catch me in guillotine, I have to feel’.” Makhachev told Cormier and Sonnen. “I will give him my neck and make him tired, and what we did in the locker room before the fight.”