The debate over Islam Makhachev’s combat style has intensified following UFC 322, with UFC veteran Nate Diaz adding his voice to the growing chorus of critics who find the welterweight champion’s approach less than thrilling.
In a candid discussion captured on N3on’s stream, Diaz didn’t hold back his assessment of Makhachev’s recent performances. When asked about the current pound-for-pound rankings and where Islam fits in the conversation, the Stockton native was bluntly dismissive.
“I can’t even remember anything but getting bored in his fight,” Diaz stated, expressing frustration with what he perceives as a lack of memorable moments from the Dagestani champion.
Diaz’s comments highlight a fundamental split in how MMA fans and fighters evaluate greatness. For the former UFC star, longevity and legacy matter more than current dominance.
He pointed to BJ Penn as his choice for greatest lightweight ever, citing Penn’s victories over elite welterweights as the kind of achievements that define legendary status.
“I feel like you have to have a long span of period to be great,” Diaz explained, suggesting that Makhachev’s relatively recent rise to prominence doesn’t warrant the pound-for-pound acclaim he’s receiving. “He’s been there for like two minutes and he ain’t beat nobody that’s great.”
The criticism comes despite Makhachev’s impressive resume, which includes moving up to welterweight at UFC 322 and systematically controlling his opponent through dominant grappling. However, this very dominance has become a point of contention.
Even MMA icon Georges St-Pierre stepped in to defend Islam Makhachev’s UFC 322 performance, offering high praise for the lightweight champion’s technical brilliance.
Speaking during a recent podcast appearance, the MMA legend didn’t mince words about what he saw inside the Octagon. “I was there, I witnessed his performance last Saturday. It was freaking brilliant. Unbelievable,” GSP said. “I don’t think he even took a punch. It’s unbelievable. It’s crazy.”
He pushed back at fans who dismissed the fight simply because it went to a decision, calling out their lack of understanding. “A lot of people there would be like, oh, yeah, it was a decision. These people who says that, I’m sorry, because they don’t know the art of fighting. They have no idea. They don’t understand the art of fighting,” he added.
GSP also made it clear that domination isn’t always about highlight-reel finishes, stressing that Makhachev’s win was exceptional given the circumstances. “His performance was freaking amazing,” he continued. “You know, like, yeah, the fight was not a flawless victory with a crazy submission or knockout. But the way he’s going up in weight class and beat Jack Della Maddalena like he did is freaking hard, man.”
Joe Rogan, the longtime UFC commentator, has emerged as one of Makhachev’s most vocal defenders. On a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, he addressed the criticism head-on, suggesting that those who find Makhachev’s style uninteresting simply don’t appreciate the technical mastery on display.
“Listen man, it’s boring if you’re a casual,” Rogan stated when discussing the champion’s performance at UFC 322. He emphasized how Makhachev completely neutralized his opponent’s game plan from the opening moments. “Islam shut his game down right away,” Rogan noted, describing the devastating low kicks that left the opponent compromised early in the contest.
“The fact that he was able to do it every round, it was a little frustrating cuz you wanted Jack to try to adjust, but he couldn’t, man,” Rogan explained, acknowledging the one-sided nature of the bout while defending its technical merit.
Rogan described a lifestyle entirely devoted to martial arts mastery: “They pray five times a day. They’re super religious. There’s no gambling. There’s just training.” This “iron sharpens iron” mentality, combined with technical expertise passed down from coaches like the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, has created a pipeline of elite fighters.
The late Abdulmanap was recognized by Russian record books as the most successful combat coach in the country, having trained 18 world champions throughout his career.
