Islam Makhachev has trained alongside some of the greatest of all time.
The former lightweight champion finds himself with a chance at making history this Saturday, when he headlines the UFC 322 pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden.
After vacating the throne at 155 pounds to pursue a second title, Makhachev will challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight belt atop a stacked card in New York City.
With that in mind, Makhachev is on the precipice of greatness on the biggest stage in MMA, and that won’t come as a surprise to a legend who has witnessed the Dagestani’s rise from close quarters.
Daniel Cormier knew Islam makhachev was destined for UFC success from day one
Alongside his work with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team back in Russia, Makhachev shared the mats with all-time greats like Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, and Luke Rockhold at Javier Mendez’s american Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California.
Before Makhachev’s main event win over Bobby Green in early 2022, Cormier reflected on the first time the then-future lightweight king entered the gym during an interview for UFC.com.
“You know, when Makhachev came to AKA, he was the first one to come after Khabib started coming,” Cormier said.
“So you knew he was special, but you knew the story: he was the one that was closest related to Khabib in terms of the fact that they’d been together the longest.he was (Khabib’s) dad’s student from the start.
“I feel like he was th
Daniel Cormier Believes Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena is a More Even Matchup Than Expected
Former UFC champion Daniel Cormier believes the upcoming bout between Islam Makhachev and Jack Della Maddalena, for a shot at two-division supremacy, is closer than many predict. While Makhachev enters the fight as the betting favorite, Cormier points to Della Maddalena’s recent performance as evidence the Australian challenger is a serious threat.
Cormier discussed the matchup in August on his YouTube channel (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNNCEdnXZWY),explaining that Makhachev’s team is well aware of the challenge Della Maddalena presents.
“They (Makhachev’s team) know the challenge ahead…those guys are well aware of how good Jack Della Maddalena is,” cormier stated. He highlighted Della Maddalena’s toughness, size, physicality, and improved takedown defense.
Specifically, Cormier was impressed by Della maddalena’s game plan and execution in his fight against Belal Muhammad. “After watching him fight belal Muhammad, after watching how wonderfully he put together a gameplan, it’s a much more even fight than you would have thought prior,” he added.
the fight is scheduled for Saturday,and while Makhachev aims to cement his dominance,Cormier’s analysis suggests Della Maddalena is a more formidable opponent than initial odds might indicate.