Islam Makhachev’s manager went on a rant as he claimed the UFC lightweight champion could beat even the best heavyweight boxers in the world.
Veteran combat sports manager Ali Abdelaziz might be one of the more divisive figures in MMA, but you’ll be hard-pressed to find a manager who’s willing to make such irrationally entertaining claims about their fighters.
Ali Abdelaziz claims Makhachev could even beat heavyweight boxers
Speaking to veteran MMA journalist John Morgan via the Grind City Media YouTube channel, manager Ali Abdelaziz certainly sang the praises of his prized fighter ahead of an enormous PPV weekend in Newark, New Jersey.
“Islam Makhachev is now the greatest fighter living in combat sports right now,” argued Abdelaziz, before adding how the Russian champion is the “pound-for-pound king” of all combat, not just MMA.
Yet the divisive manager took things one step further to claim that Makhachev could not only go toe-to-toe with the bigger stars of the UFC but even the best heavyweight boxers in the world.
“He can beat Usyk’s a**, Tyson Fury’s a**, Anthony Joshua’s a**, anybody; he can beat anybody’s a**.
“I believe Islam Makhachev can beat the welterweight champion [and] the middleweight champion right now [and] he might beat Alex Pereira too.”
Abdelaziz then claimed he once watched Makhachev spar and finish several top-tier UFC fighters from the divisions above him in just a single training session, stating “It’s no secret that Islam Makhachev is a bad man.”
“Styles make fights, I’m sorry [but] one time I watched Islam in the same training session finish Vicente [Luque], Marvin [Vettori], [Magomed] Ankalaev, all back-to-back-to-back in the same training session – I saw it.”
Whilst only the most naive combat sports fans would genuinely believe that Makhachev would have a shot against either Pereira or any of the championship-level heavyweight boxers; it’s hard not to admit that Abdelaziz is one of the best in the game at promoting his athletes to the fullest – even if that promotion is indeed rather delusional.
Ali Abdelaziz reacts to ‘intense’ face-off at press conference
Whilst Makhachev has been vocal during UFC 302 fight week about his desire to move up to welterweight and challenge for a second belt, Abdelaziz reaffirmed that the champion’s mind is solely focused on ‘The Diamond’.
“Brother, the most important [thing is that] nobody else matters, on Saturday night UFC 302 [it’s] Dustin Poirier, one of the most dangerous guys in the division – he can turn your lights off.
“There’s nobody [here] overlooking him, Islam’s studying him, we all study him, Islam has guys just like him in camp [so] nobody is overlooking him, there’s no other talk right now but Dustin Poirier.”
When asked about his thoughts on the heated face-off between the two at the pre-fight press conference, where Makhachev threatened to slap Poirier for cursing at him, Abdelaziz simply stated: “You can’t get emotional with guys from Dagestan, they’re as cold as they come.”
“I think in America people drop the MF world very easily and he said it to Islam… And Islam let him know, ‘Hey don’t talk to me this way’ – I think Dustin got it and everything’s good.”
Islam Makhachev vs Dustin Poirier is your main event of UFC 302, scheduled to go down on Saturday, June 1 live from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.