"I want to be like Khabib": Makhachev on the comparison with Nurmagomedov, the fight with Hooker and the possible transition to welterweight

- Initially, at UFC 267 in Abu Dhabi, you were supposed to fight Rafael Dos Anjos, but the Brazilian withdrew due to injury, and Dan Hooker replaced him.

What can you say about the New Zealander?

- Hooker is a good opponent.

The fight might not have taken place at all, so I am very glad that he agreed to fight.

- Were you offered a list of opponents to choose from or were you faced with the fact that you would fight Hooker?

- There were two names - Ferguson and Hooker.

Tony didn't answer and Dan was ready.

I said, "Okay, I don't care."

- How would you rate Hooker in comparison with your previous rivals?

- He is well prepared, has excellent striking technique.

I think he has some advantage over Dos Anjos, since he, in my opinion, is already a little older.

Hooker, on the other hand, cannot boast of a long winning streak, but he fought strong fighters.

And he won many of them.

Therefore, a good fight awaits us.

- How would you rate his wrestling skills?

- To be honest, I did not notice any special wrestling skills in him.

But let's see and check.

“This is the third time your battle with Dos Anjos has been thwarted.

After meeting with Hooker, do you plan to make another attempt to measure strength with the Brazilian?

- I don't think this is a good idea for me.

I have to fight someone from the top 3.

If they give a title fight, then I will be ready.

- Returning to the choice of your opponent, were you upset that Ferguson did not accept the fight with you?

- Ferguson is seventh or eighth in the rankings, and Hooker is sixth.

I think Tony is already finishing, he has a streak of three defeats.

So fighting him is a bad idea.

- Blogger Khasbulla Magomedov plans to support you during the fight with Hooker.

Do you know anything about this?

- As far as I know, he is now in Dubai.

Probably come to the tournament.

- Who, besides him, will look at you from the podium?

- All my friends.

A lot of people will come, especially from Makhachkala.

The whole arena will cheer for me.

- Does such close attention put pressure on you?

- I'm not an amateur, so no pressure.

Only support.

- As far as we know, you spent part of the preparation for the fight with Hooker directly in the UAE.

- We flew to Dubai five days ago.

It has everything you need to train and the people are very hospitable.

You also need to acclimatize, because it is already cold in Russia, but here it is incredible heat.

Therefore, you have to arrive 10-15 days in advance.

If you delay, there may be problems due to jet lag.

So you need to approach business professionally.

- What is your motivation for the fight with Hooker?

- I need to defeat Dan as brightly as the three previous opponents.

Show your level to UFC fans and management.

Very soon I will have to fight for the title, so in the fight with Hooker I will look for any opportunity to complete everything ahead of schedule.

- Many now call you the heir of Khabib Nurmagomedov in the lightweight division.

Are you satisfied with this comparison, or would you prefer not to draw such parallels?

- It is hard to say.

I want to be like Khabib, we train a lot together, he strongly supports me.

It doesn't weigh on me.

I'm just glad that such a guy is behind me.

- What role did he play in preparing for the battle?

- Khabib has a lot of experience.

He and Javier Mendes are like head coaches for me: they make up a training plan, help a lot in preparation.

Nurmagomedov is not just a sparring partner, he gives something more.

- Mendes said that in one of the sparring sessions you won a round against Khabib.

Is that true?

- There were a lot of such duels in training, and they all took place without judges.

Maybe Mendez himself was assessing?

When Khabib was preparing and getting a new partner (during one sparring session), it was hard to give 100% of everyone's best.

Probably there were rounds that were left for me.

- When was it more difficult to fight Nurmagomedov: before or after he finished his career?

- Now Khabib weighs about 90 kg, so it can be very difficult to fight with him on the ground.

- What is your usual weight in the offseason?

- Previously it was 83-84 kg, now 81-82.

I have become a more professional fighter and do not eat food that is not beneficial.

- In the last two fights, you got the upper hand ahead of schedule.

How can you deal with Hooker?

- I see that I can complete the battle on the ground.

I don't think Hooker has good grappling skills.

I will also try to pull him apart in a stance and beat him.

In MMA, every blow can be the last.

- How do you assess your skills in the stand against Hooker?

- I can compete with anyone in percussion technique and please the audience.

But this is MMA, my fight is at a good level, I can calmly transfer my opponents to the floor and finish fights.

I must use my strengths.

- In your opinion, Hooker is one of the three strongest strikers in the lightweight division of the

- I do not know, maybe in the five or seven.

- Who wins first place?

- Charles Oliveira is very good, he added a lot.

All of the top 5 ranked players can fight in a standing position.

There is no such thing that a fighter is in the top five and does not know how to beat.

- Do you think you will receive the title of the first contender if you win at

- There are still fights ahead of Oliveira with Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler with Justin Gaethje.

If I, Oliveira and Chandler win, who will fight for the belt?

I don't think their revenge would be a good idea.

You don't need to ask me, I'll be ready.

- If you are not given a title fight, is there any desire to fight for big money?

With Conor McGregor, for example?

- No.

I want to pick up the belt as soon as possible.

This will be the money fight.

- Do you think you could compete with the welterweight?

- Yes, I think, in terms of skills, I am in no way inferior to them.

It's just that these guys are a little bigger, they weigh 90 kg.

It's hard for me to gain so much.

But seven kilos wouldn't make a difference.

I worked with top fighters in training in Las Vegas, I had no problems with them.

- Do you have an understanding when you will play the next fight?

- I think I will be offered to return to the cage at the beginning of 2022.