Islam Makhachev wants to test himself against the best.
Islam Makhachev has just won a main event fight in the UFC. He is on the fast track for a UFC title, but he is still looking to take on the best competition he can. He was briefly linked to a short-notice fight against Rafael dos Anjos, but that fight did not manifest. In the few days between his win over Bobby Green and offering to step in against dos Anjos, Makhachev and his team were filmed for Khabib Nurmagomedov’s YouYube channel.
In the most recent video, Makhachev is seen training with his team and helping his training partners get ready for their fights. At the end of the clip, Makhachev is wrestling with his manager, who is no match for him. He calls for some tougher competition. The name Jordan Burroughs is suggested, to which he laughs.
“Easy, Jordan Burroughs, if you want, let’s grapple brother, let’s grapple,” he said.
Jordan Burroughs Wants Makhachev To “Prove It”
Burroughs is an Olympic gold medalist wrestler and is also a five-time world champion. Makhachev and his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov are known for their ground game as well. They are both proficient in Sambo wrestling, and Makhachev is a World Combat Sambo Champion.
This is not the first time Makhachev has expressed interest in testing himself against Burroughs. He mentioned it once in an interview with Daniel Cormier. Burroughs caught wind of this and has accepted the invitation.
Burroughs has been teasing interest in taking an MMA fight, although he has not committed to an MMA organization at this time.
Makhachev does some of his training at AKA in California alongside some other great wrestlers like Cormier. If Burroughs does want to give it a try, he would apparently be welcome to hop in and do so.
Who do you think would win a grappling match between Jordan Burroughs and Islam Makhachev?
