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In preparation for his upcoming bout against Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, Dustin Poirier has taken note of both similarities and differences between Makhachev and his former opponent, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Scheduled for June 1, this fight marks Poirier's third attempt at claiming the lineal lightweight title, hoping to secure victory after his recent knockout win over Benoît Saint-Denis at UFC 299.
Arman Tsarukyan, despite his victory at UFC 300, declined the title shot, leading to Poirier's matchup against Makhachev.
Reflecting on his past fights, Poirier acknowledges that Makhachev poses a different challenge compared to Nurmagomedov.
In an interview on The MMA Hour, Poirier highlighted Makhachev's versatility in Jiu-Jitsu, noting that he is more of a threat in scrambles and possesses better striking than Nurmagomedov.
“[Islam’s] submission game, Jiu-Jitsu wise, is a bit more versatile than Khabib’s was,” Poirier said of Makhachev.
“Khabib had some chokes that he did really well, but Islam’s put himself in bad positions, going for armbars, maybe he loses a position but he uses his wrestling to get it back.
[Islam’s] a bit more of a threat Jiu-Jitsu wise in scrambles, and his striking is better than Khabib.”
Despite Nurmagomedov's legendary 29-0 record and his induction into the UFC Hall of Fame, Poirier recognizes Makhachev's skills, particularly his recent knockout victory over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294.