Islam Makhachev declares Sambo superior as he reacts to submission win over BJJ black belt Renato Moicano at UFC 311

Islam Makhachev made it three submission wins in five fights as he secured victory over Renato Moicano at UFC 311 on Jan. 18 via D'arce choke in Round 1. He became the first fighter to defend the lightweight title four times, surpassing Khabib Nurmagomedov, B.J. Penn and Benson Henderson, all of whom defended the title three times.

As the lightweight champion, Makhachev holds submission wins over Charles Oliveira, Dustin Poirier and now Moicano. The Dagestani fighter has declared Sambo as the superior grappling art, having tapped out three Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) black belts in five fights.

The debate surrounding Sambo vs. BJJ began prior to Makhachev's clash with Oliveira at UFC 280. 'Do Bronx' holds the most submission wins in UFC history, and was eager to prove that 'the gentle art' was more effective than Sambo, but ultimately suffered a second-round submission loss.

Following Makhachev's victory at UFC 311, he was interviewed by ESPN MMA where he reflected on submitting Moicano, saying:

"I check who has real black belts, and who doesn't have a real black belt. Sambo [is the] best, I told you guys. Sambo working very well for the jiu-jitsu. Sorry guys but it's true... But some people are going to be upset with me and send me bad comments, sorry, I just say the truth."

Check out Islam Makhachev's comments below (1:15):

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Islam Makhachev shares timeline for his return

Islam Makhachev once again proved why he is widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in MMA after submitting Renato Moicano in Round 1 of their UFC 311 title fight.

The lightweight king has made it clear that he is searching for a second and potentially third UFC belt. Makhachev would be willing to move up to middleweight to challenge Dricus du Plessis for his title. The Dagestani fighter has his sights set to welterweight as his next destination, but with part-time teammate Belal Muhammad the current champion, Makhachev is not overly eager to face him.

Following his fourth successive title defense, the 33-year old was interviewed by the UFC, where he shared his thoughts on a potential return date for his next fight. He said:

"In my division I've finished my job. Who do we have? I beat [them] all. Dana [White] I'm waiting, just call me. That's it... International Fight Week, June [or] July, I will be ready."

Check out Islam Makhachev's comments below: