There’s a new UFC ruler at 170 pounds who has proven to be almost impossible to beat.
Islam Makhachev ascended to the top of a second division on MMA’s biggest stage in the main event of UFC 322 on November 15.
Makhachev defeated Jack Della Maddalena in Madison Square Garden by a wide margin to become UFC’s 11th two-division champ.
After a win that saw him return to the top of the official pound for pound rankings, some have speculated the Dagestani would likely extend his record 16-fight winning streak.
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Chael Sonnen tells Islam Makhachev’s rivals what they must do to beat him
Among those looking to stop that being the case next year is Ian Machado Garry, a recent winner at the UFC’s debut event in Qatar.
Garry defeated Belal Muhammad in order to earn his first title shot. UFC legend Chael Sunser saw something from Garry that he thinks will be crucial for any welterweight who hopes to defeat Makhachev.
During an episode of his Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast alongside Daniel Cormier, ‘The American Gangster’ stressed the importance of staying off the cage given the usual strategy employed by Khabib Nurmagomedov’s fighters.
“I will share this with you,” Sonnen began. “If you keep your back off the fence, it ups your chances of not being taken down by anyone on Team Khabib.
“Step one is corner the guy in the fence, then you get the underhook, you find your way to the body, then you start tangling the legs, then you drag him down to the canvas.
“An open mat double-leg, an open mat swing-single, a fireman’s carry, these type of things, just isn’t something that that team does,”He added.
“One thing Garry did a great job of (against Muhammad), and he did it for (15)…
2025-11-26 22:00:00
