Georges St-Pierre predicts how Islam Makhachev would do against Khabib Nurmagomedov, breaks down viral "golf swing" takedown vs. Dustin Poirier

Georges St-Pierre gave his take on how Islam Makhachev might perform versus Khabib Nurmagomedov, focusing on both fighters' ability inside the cage. St-Pierre also detailed Makhachev's takedown maneuver on Dustin Poirier, stating that it is risky and should only be used as a last resort.

Nurmagomedov retired from the sport unbeaten, giving up his lightweight belt in 2020. The Dagestani legend returned to guide Makhachev in his title fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 in 2022 when his longtime friend and protege became the undisputed champion.

Makhachev has now successfully defended his championship three times, raising questions among the MMA community about his ability to overcome his mentor in a potential clash.

During a conversation with his coach Firas Zahabi on Tristar Gym's YouTube channel, St-Pierre answered Zahabi's query on the winner between Makhachev and Nurmagomedov, saying:

''It's hard to say. Khabib might have a more solid game in terms of positioning, in terms of ground and pound, in terms of takedown… On the other hand, I think Makhachev has a better submission game. I think he's more aggressive and more opportunistic on the submission side."

In addition, St-Pierre shared his opinion on Makhachev's last-round submission attempt against Poirier, which resulted in the latter being choked out at UFC 302.

''One of my favorite moves because when guys put a lot of weight on on their legs you try to lift them by their center line and use the golf swing so it works very well...that's risky move, it's a last resort thing.''

Check out Georges St-Pierre's comments below (via Red Corner MMA's Instagram post):

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Georges St-Pierre believes Islam Makhachev is the no. 1 pound-for-pound fighter

The pound-for-pound rankings have sparked heated debate, with many urging for Islam Makhachev to be ranked first, while others, including UFC CEO Dana White, have supported Jon Jones.

However, in the aforementioned YouTube video, Georges St-Pierre praised Makhachev, pointing to his recent accomplishment and hailed him as the no. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world, saying:

''He's amazing, I think right now he's the best P4P because of his last few performances. Just Amazing.'' [Givemesport]

Notably, in a recent interview with MMA Junkie, MMA coach Javier Mendez also voiced his opinion about Makhachev being the top pound-for-pound fighter and criticized Jones, citing his lack of activity inside the octagon.

Makhachev will make his fourth title defense against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 on Jan. 18.