Khabib Nurmagomedov's protégé Islam Makhachev vows to RETIRE El Cucuy after UFC 259 win

Islam Makhachev lived up to the hype at UFC 259 as he battered fellow lightweight contender Drew Dober in the main card on Saturday night. The Russian kept Dober on the ground in all three rounds, thanks to his acclaimed wrestling and punished him with timely ground-and-pound. In the end, Makhachev trapped his adversary in a vicious arm-triangle choke to win the bout, taking his winning streak to seven.

While Drew Dober saw his first loss after almost two years, Islam Makhachev seemed happy to be back in the octagon as he was sidelined for more than a year due to multiple cancellations and health issue. While talking to Joe Rogan at the UFC 259 post-fight interview, Islam Makhachev revealed that he wanted to finish the bout in the first round, but because of Dober’s insane power, he was not able to do that. So, he opted to make Dober tired with his wrestling before going for a finish.

Islam Makhachev UFC career: Makhachev plans to be active this year

Islam Makhachev has received high praise from his fellow AKA teammates, which includes legends like current UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov and former two-division king Daniel Cormier. Many even think that Makhachev will get his hands on the 155lb strap once his mentor vacates the crown. Because of that, Islam Makhachev revealed that he has to stay active in the coming months and he already has a specific opponent in mind for his next octagon appearance.

Islam Makhachev UFC career: Makhachev calls out Tony Ferguson

For years, Tony Ferguson vs Khabib Nurmagomedov was a dream bout for millions of MMA fans. It was also the most cursed bout, as the two saw their fight cancelled on five different occasions from 2015 to 2020. With Nurmagomedov announcing his retirement last year and Ferguson losing his last two bouts, the world seems to have moved on from the mega-fight. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protégé Islam would gladly step in to fight Tony Ferguson in the near future and provide some closure to the rivalry.

Islam Makhachev told the media that he would love to fight Ferguson next, claiming it is his dream fight. “I just want to make him retire. He talks too much. Khabib is retired, now he keeps pressuring him, for what? I’m here, I have a seven-fight win streak, make this happen,” the Russian added.

Image Source: Islam Makhachev, Tony Ferguson/ Instagram