Makhachev has confronted criticism from components of the MMA world for the calibre of opponents he has confronted throughout his title defences.
Though Volkanovski is world class, he moved up from featherweight for each bouts, whereas Moicano was a last-minute substitute for the injured Arman Tsarukyan and was tenth within the UFC light-weight rankings.
He does maintain victories over former champion Oliveira and Poirier, nevertheless.
For Nurmagomedov, the mixed report of his opponents on the time of preventing them is 81 wins, 13 losses, one draw and one no-contest, whereas Makhachev’s rivals had 109 wins, 23 losses and two no-contests between them.
Nurmagomedov, in the meantime, has title defences towards McGregor, Poirier and Justin Gaethje, however it’s the method during which he gained these fights that’s spectacular.
He largely dominated all three earlier than ending them, whereas towards Gaethje he pre-planned to win through a triangle choke as a result of he needed to place the American to sleep slightly than make him submit, out of respect.
