Islam Makhachev, the UFC lightweight champion, has advised his teammates to adapt their fighting approaches or risk being cut from the promotion.
In recent years, Dagestani fighters have faced criticism from MMA fans over their approach in the cage.
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Fighters from that region are known for focusing more on control and less on damage, which has not always gone down well with fans.
It is not just the fans who have taken issue, either. The UFC seems to be taking action against certain fighting styles as well.
For example, the UFC unexpectedly released Rinat Fakhretdinov a few months ago, despite him holding a 23-fight unbeaten streak at that time.
Islam Makhachev believes UFC now favours ‘street fight’ approach
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Khabib Nurmagomedov, despite his dominance, often took criticism for his fighting style. That criticism has not gone away, even as Makhachev has taken over the spotlight for the team.
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Unlike many of his peers from the region, the 34-year-old champion is less criticised due to his well-rounded skill set, combining strong striking with an aggressive submission game.
Still, he has warned those around him that they might need to change their approach if they want to stick around in the UFC.
Speaking to Ushatayka, Makhachev said: “I already tell the guys, you’ve got to go out there and scrap.
“Those Dagestani fighters that just show up, dominate everyone, don’t speak English, don’t sell the fight, don’t hype anything up – I think that type of fighter isn’t interesting for the UFC anymore.
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“What they want is basically a street fight type of vibe, someone who just comes out and throws down… Some dudes lose 6 or 7 fights but they keep getting fights because they go out there and scrap every time, win or lose.
“I won’t name names, but one of the UFC execs told me that they’ve got guys like that.”
UFC shifting towards favouring action-packed fighters
Since the start of the year, with the UFC’s new broadcast partnership with Paramount, there has been a noticeable shift towards rewarding fighters who bring a more entertaining approach.
Lately, it has become clear that some fighters are getting higher placements on cards simply because their styles are seen as more exciting by fans.
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