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Islam Makhachev is the current UFC lightweight champion. Not only does he reign supreme over today's crop of 155-pound fighters, he has an argument to be considered the greatest lightweight of all time. After all, he has more title defenses than anyone else in the division's history.
That, though, does not mean he'd dominate every lightweight put in front of him. There are fighters, past and present, who could mount a stiff challenge against Makhachev. No one is unbeatable, and Makhachev has lost before. Moreover, he has had difficult fights that indicate who could do well against him.
That isn't to say he'd lose to anyone else, but there are lightweights, or there have been lightweights who could prove a far tougher challenge than expected.
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#5. Islam Makhachev vs. Tony Ferguson
Today, Tony Ferguson is an over-the-hill fighter on the longest losing streak in UFC history. After leaving the promotion, he has found a new home in the GFL alongside other ex-UFC fighters. However, in his prime, Ferguson was one of the most dangerous fighters in lightweight history.
He had a terrifying submission game, endless cardio, and a creative striking style that often left his opponents looking like car crash victims. It allowed him to author one of the longest win streaks in UFC lightweight history and capture an interim belt. Against Makhachev, he would have posed a stiffer challenge than expected.
First, Makhachev doesn't triangle the legs and raise his foe's ankles above the mat while controlling the wrist like Khabib Nurmagomedov does. He only does so sporadically and does not use any ground-and-pound to create openings for submissions, which wouldn't bode well for him against Ferguson.
Furthermore, Makhachev does not have five-star cardio. While he can fight for five rounds at a good pace, he has gassed before, and against someone like Ferguson who fought at a high pace at high elevation in Mexico City, it would have led to trouble.
#4. Islam Makhachev vs. Eddie Alvarez
Islam Makhachev's first fight against Alexander Volkanovski was a telling one. First, the Dagestani star cannot get his wrestling going against any opponent with top-level wrestling and who can match his physicality. Eddie Alvarez fits this description better than most.
Alvarez, in his prime, was among the physically strongest fighters at lightweight, and an accomplished enough wrestler that Makhachev would have struggled to score any meaningful takedowns or rack up control time. Thus, the matchup would have devolved into a kickboxing bout.
While Alvarez wasn't the greatest striker in the division, he was a powerful puncher with sharp, defensive fundamentals. His skills enabled him to capture Bellator and UFC lightweight gold, and they would have allowed him to drag Makhachev into a tough battle.
Although a Makhachev win would be more likely than an Alvarez one, it wouldn't come by so easily barring a flash knockout.
#3. Islam Makhachev vs. Mateusz Gamrot
Being able to match Islam Makhachev's wrestling is often a key to beating him, as is the case with his grappling on the mat, and Mateusz Gamrot has the potential to do so. The Polish star is one of the most accomplished grapplers at lightweight, having won various grappling medals, including at ADCC's European tournaments.
His greatest drawback is his inability to control his opponents on the mat, which would be out of the question against Makhachev for nearly anyone. Only situations wherein Makhachev is exhausted and hurt, like the dying seconds of his first fight with Alexander Volkanovski.
Gamrot, though, would be able to neutralize Makhachev's grappling, especially due to how well he does in scrambles. His striking, though, would fail him against Makhachev, as Gamrot hasn't polished his kickboxing enough to be a consistent threat at lightweight.
He would, though, force a scramble-fest against Makhachev during the grappling transitions, and is a fighter with tremendous potential.
#2. Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan
At UFC 311, Islam Makhachev was set to face Arman Tsarukyan in a rematch of their UFC Fight Night 149 encounter. There was tremendous hype behind the matchup, and for good reason. It was widely regarded as Makhacheve's toughest fight prior to his first clash with Alexander Volkanovski.
The first time Makhachev and Tsarukyan fought came under suboptimal circumstances for the latter. Makhachev was booked for UFC Fight Night 149, but the promotion struggled to find an opponent willing to face him while he was in his training camp. Thus, the UFC was forced to search outside its roster.
Check out Islam Makhache vs. Arman Tsarukyan 1:
Tsarukyan was a talent on the regional Russian scene, and accepted the bout with just a month to prepare and at 22 years old, no less. On his UFC debut, he proved capable of countering Makhachev's wrestling and grappling with frequent scrambles and his outrageous physicality.
However, Tsarukyan faded late, losing via unanimous decision. He has only gotten better since then and it isn't far-fetched to imagine him giving Makhachev another run for his money, especially with enough time to prepare.
#1. Islam Makhachev vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov
The comparisons between Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov began long before the former's championship ascension. They were both trained by the great Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov and have similar fighting styles, at least superficially.
No one else has the reputation for dominance that Khabib does. He has only ever lost two rounds in 29 fights, and he is the primary reason behind the amount of fanfare surrounding Dagestani fighters. Not only is Khabib capable of matching, and perhaps exceeding Makhachev's wrestling, he has other attributes.
Khabib has a superior gas tank, appears to be physically stronger, and can push a much faster pace than Makhachev can. Moreover, he is more familiar with Makhachev's strengths and weaknesses than anyone else besides Makhachev himself.
It's possible, perhaps even probable that Khabib would have beaten Makhachev had they ever fought.
