Former UFC fighter makes eye-opening remark on Islam Makhachev's wrestling pedigree: "I knew he'd treat anybody else like a little boy"

Islam Makhachev's UFC 311 domination of Renato Moicano has the MMA world once again raving about his wrestling skills. This includes ex-UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold, who was the Dagestani star's teammate. During a recent sitdown, Rockhold detailed his experience grappling with Makhachev.

Speaking to Helen Yee, the retired 185-pound champion expressed astonishment over Makhachev's elite-level grappling. Rockhold himself is no slouch on the mat, being a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt whose own skill enabled him to completely run over Chris Weidman when they clashed.

Makhachev, though, is a different beast entirely according to him. When asked by Yee what he thought of his AKA teammate's performance, Rockhold said the following:

"I thought, I mean, Islam is an amazing f***ing fighter, grappler, everything. But he's a different level of physicality when it comes to grappling. I say this all the time, I roll with 155-pounders, and Islam and Khabib [Nurmagomedov] they don't wrestle and they don't grapple like 155-pounders."

As Rockhold said it, the difference in physicality that the likes of Makhachev and, of course, the great Khabib Nurmagomedov bring to the mat is unlike anything else in the lightweight division.

"I've wrestled with Charles Oliveira or the Armenian kid [Arman Tsarukyan] or anybody, and be nothing. It's a tough time with these two guys and it's always been different, and I just know the levels are different. I knew he'd treat Charles like a little boy, and I knew he'd treat anybody else like a little boy."

Check out Luke Rockhold praising Islam Makhachev's grappling (5:31):

The ease with which Makhachev took down and submitted Moicano was a surprise to even the Brazilian himself. Despite his exceptional physical strength, Makhachev hasn't dominated every single opponent he's faced. Two come to mind who matched his physicality.

The first was Arman Tsarukyan, who proved a stiff test on short-notice when they first clashed years ago. The second was Alexander Volkanovski, who the Dagestani phenom could not outmuscle.

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Luke Rockhold isn't the only fighter to be astonished by Islam Makhachev's physical strength

Islam Makhachev's physical strength has drawn a tremendous amount of attention ever since his ascension in the lightweight rankings. Among those who have commented on it is former foe Bobby Green.

Ahead of UFC Vegas 66, Green touched on Makhachev's strength in his media day interview with MMA Junkie.

"Imagine if you gave someone steroids from the age of 10, 12, 13, 14, 15. How strong you would be?"

Check out Bobby Green's thoughts on Islam Makhachev's strength (14:11):

Ironically, Green himself has been flagged for a banned substance in the past. However, he asserts that he is no cheater or abuser of performance-enhancing drugs.