Is Islam Makhachev The Greatest Lightweight Ever Now?

[@AcidGlow]

Dana saying Islam is #1 must mean Jon Jones fight negotiations are not going good..

[@jmac3112]

Literally my first thought when I heard him say it haha

[@TAThor]

Glad someone else sees through the charades.

[@Chris-lk9ug]

Exactly what I thought.

[@McYeroc]

​@TAThor who cares? Whatever it takes to get jon to fight aspinal right?

[@chicago1680]

they will fight Jon is gonna get around 20-30mil. watch

[@NorthEastSpiders]

Bet Umar got a good bollocking when he got back to the locker room 😬 Khabib looked devastated and Islam was ANGRY.

[@ashleyalexander7388]

Islam looked pissed. But to be fair... I don't think Umar could have done more than he did. He looked dead at the end. Merab is just something else, I think he'll dominate for the next few years... who can beat him. I think you need to put Merabs lights out.

[@TamvA]

I think they were more disappointed for him, rather than at him.

[@Last_Chance.]

Well he did break his hand in first round

[@Last_Chance.]

​@@TamvAagree

[@Metalhed1300p]

​@ashleyalexander7388 Yeah if Merab loses it'll need to be by KO. Which is very possible he does kinda leave himself open at times. But you better do it early cause his gas tank will never tire lol.

[@Vospi]

Jiri v Alex 3 can only happen if Pereira will agree to not use black magic, and you know it's not happening.

[@KratomWarrior94]

Are you high

[@zeked4200]

​@@KratomWarrior94 No I believe he's joking. No harm in asking, you might wanna work on reading contextual clues though.

[@silverwolf6194]

He should fight Ankalaev before anyone else.

[@kennethnoisewater4423]

@@silverwolf6194 it's booked for 313 in March.

[@MrTheHawk]

@@zeked4200😂😂

[@anneliesejoy]

Jon Jones isn't the p4p because he is in contract negotiations.

[@dwraptorgeezus097]

Exactly what I said! 😂

[@Last_Chance.]

Word

[@peopleschoice1457]

Don't be delusional! He isn't p4p cause he best a fighter who was retired for 4 years and in his 40s if it was tom than no one would've questioned it but no way you can be p4p when you take 3 years to fight a guy who's not a wrestler not a bjj guy and got bullied on the ground by francis, than you hold the belt and ask to fight a retired dude instead of current no 1 contender it's like islam asking to fight b.j pen or frankie edgar.

[@dwraptorgeezus097]

@@peopleschoice1457 He was making a joke directed towards Dana.

[@jefftaylor8644]

So obvious

[@kees1236]

Mayby its also time to give some flowers to merab as bantamweight goat.

[@oiyile1971]

No.

[@cXms-k8y]

He never finished anybody he won but not definitive ways He is champion goat I don't think so

[@pvlshka]

after 1 defense? lmao

[@ObliqueMMA]

@@pvlshkalook at his resume. better than anyone at bantamweight

[@dilarch.]

@@pvlshkaYan,Suga,Umar,Cejudo,Aldo + other decent names. Even If he is not the most exciting he is beating them fair and square

[@TempoQuin]

Def don't want to see Jiri v Potan 3. I'm good.

[@memesenpai6321]

Merabs resume is the best Bantamweight resume ever. He hasn't popped for anything....yet, but since, as of this day, he still tests clean, he is the Bantamweight GOAT

[@sexbuffet]

what are you trying to imply? weirdo

[@FunkyFlunky2332]

God if Merab’s the bantamweight GOAT this division is so washed up 😂

[@andbo7937]

@@FunkyFlunky2332he’s beat like 5 champs in a row

[@Day9294_]

I was talking with my buddy yesterday and we didn't really realize how freakn good is merabs record. He has wins over, suga Sean, cejudo, Aldo, yan, and now Umar. He's definitely up there for the best ever in his weight class

[@OliverOils]

​@@FunkyFlunky2332ehhh not really his fights are more competitive than people let you believe that's cause the Bantamweights are skilled Merab's cardio is the great equalizer

[@dp6921]

I am so fucking sick of GOAT and P4P conversations. They can't be answered definitively and are insanely boring at this point. Can't we just celebrate great fighters and great fights without having to compare everything all the time?

[@skindred1888]

I mean...you clicked on the video. You're just boosting your algorithm to see it more. It's dumb, and mostly subjective. Every fighter has a different path in their career, they all fight different people at different times. If ever asked...just go with gsp's answer...the goat hasn't even been born yet

[@dp6921]

@skindred1888 - I watch every Autopsy on the channel. That's why I clicked on it. And then you agreed with me! 🤣

[@abdullahjama9053]

Yeah goat debates work in sports like running and football, not in sports where Kai asakura gets a title shot 0 fights in the ufc and guys like merab on 10 fight winstreaks for the same thing.

[@stezenast5878]

​@@dp6921the fact you 😂 that he agreed with you just shows you're incapable of any discussion outside of arguments (or perceived arguments....) sad

[@dp6921]

@stezenast5878 He criticised me, then agreed with my point. That's pretty funny. You however, seem to lack any sense of humour whatsoever.

[@kyleh636]

That Jacuzzi definitely helped Islam. Umar should have gone 😂

[@mohdfauzan9863]

😂😂😂

[@Mixed-Media-Arts]

😐🥱😐

[@kyleh636]

@@Mixed-Media-Arts 👍

[@dagwood5041]

cringe that people thought this was clever

[@kyleh636]

@@dagwood5041 A man with the username Dagwood is the authority on cringe now? Okay 😂

[@lambslide_]

“Khabib beat Conor, but Islam only beat Volkanovski” is crazy dude

[@stephenhughes5156]

Nah Islam only beat Charles. Khabib beat Conor, Dustin and Justin.

[@lambslide_]

@ yeah that’s a good argument, but you’re saying “nah” like that isn’t a claim that Tommy made in the video

[@Manga.Spoilersss]

​@@lambslide_bro don't say that hes fans will fight you 😅 4 title defenses 3 featherweights 2 short notices #10 guy and week notice alcoholic volk A washed up Dustin with no grappling+600 odds Yeah Surpassed khabib and P4P #1 .. If Jones beat old prime stipe booo and gane with no grappling like Dustin fans boooo 😂 Fans just love Islam too much

[@rebornsavior8633]

Also, every undefeated fighter on the card lost their 0: Clayton Carpenter, Rinya Nakamura, Payton Talbott & Umar Nurmagomedov. They join a list of undefeated fighters to have lost their 0's in 2025 that also include Magomed Gadzhiyasulov & Austin Bashi. The only undefeated fighters who have fought in 2025 to have stayed undefeated so far are Jacobe Smith & Nurullo Aliev.

[@thekingofnorway3465]

Knowing how much Dana loves money, he'll wait until Islam and illia have 1 more defense each and have a superfight at the end of the year... I'd rather see a 6 title defenses between each of them and then a megafight

[@DarketrrorCoin]

It's not fair to Makhachev to fight another featherweight guy. On the contrary, let the winner of the Welterweight division fight Makhachev.And after that, in addition to finishing your career, do 3-4 money fights and that’s it. Against Topuria, then someone from the welterweight division, to defend the belt and then do one or two more money fights and that's it. This is the best end to Makhachev's career.

[@patchgodwilliams1024]

Ilia would get tapped out he owe his championship to Islam for cracking volks chin lol

[@Khadersheriff]

​​@@DarketrrorCoin see Makhachev got more credit for his Volk1 & 2 fight than beating Moicano, tho Moicano is a LW top 10. Why? Bcuz Volk is no normal FW fighter he is a Elite. Similarly Topouria is a Elite. He has done incredible things, he is popular. So, if Topouria fights Poirier or Olivera and gets a KO win. Then it's the best match up for Makhachev. If Makhachev stops Topouria it will definitely be more greater than beating Olivera, Gaethje, Chandler... And I guess it will be bigger money fight. Cuz right now WW picture seems unclear. Belal seems like will hold that belt. You agree?

[@DarketrrorCoin]

@Khadersheriff For Makhachev, the main thing is not just a money fight but his legacy. It's the legacy he will leave behind when he enters the UFC Hall of Fame. For him, that's more important than just a lucrative fight. Ilia is good and strong, but let's look at it from Islam's perspective. He gave the featherweight division two chances, which Volkanovski took. The best fighter at his peak and #1 P4P at the time. If the first fight was close for him, in the second, he shut him down. Volkanovski was at his peak, let me emphasize that. Oliveira was also at his peak. Ilia is currently at his peak too, and so what? Haven’t we already seen fighters at their peak? We have, and Islam dealt with them. He also has ambitions for a second belt, just like Ilia, but today he has proven that almost everyone in the lightweight top 10-except perhaps Tsarukyan-is no match for him. I think the coolest scenario for the UFC by the end of the year would be if Shavkat Rakhmonov won the welterweight title and Islam could challenge for a second title as a contender. After that, we could see what Islam is truly capable of in the pursuit of a second belt. If he wins, he could then consider a fight with Ilia. I understand your point that if Oliveira, Poirier, or Tsarukyan win, Ilia should get his chance. But it would be better if Ilia faced two lightweight contenders, defeated them, and during that time, Makhachev could fight for the welterweight title. After that, we could get the most exciting fight between two top contenders for the title of the best in the UFC. This could even rival the rivalry between Khabib and Conor in terms of excitement. Two incredible fighters with real ambitions and the ability to back up their words with action. Now that would be absolutely epic.

[@OliverOils]

​@@Khadersheriffyup let Illia fight a lightweight top 5 first

[@sanatsrivastava2814]

>Islam has fought better competition. >Islam has more title defenses. >Islam has a longer win streak at LW in the UFC. Islam is better.

[@tannermcguire7713]

Let's be honest, Charles and volk are much better fighters

[@GrGidley99]

You guys have been machines for the last month or more. Really impressive work guys, keep it up! Love your content

[@MMAOnPoint]

Thank you so much!

[@jocoolshow]

#3 PFP Charles, #1 P4P Volk, #2 P4P Volk, the most prepared anti grappling version of a legend like Dustin we’ve ever seen, and top 10 ranked Moicano with 5 title wins and 4 defenses imo should definitely get Islam as the LW GOAT. And before that, people like Dan Hooker, Bobby Green, Drew Dober, Tibau etc Khabib had top 15 ranked Al, Conor, Dustin, and Gaethje for his title run, and MJ, Edson, RDA and Tibau. It’s very close but Charles being P4P #3 and Volk being P4P #1 just make it a different level of win for Islam beyond just a title win and a title defense

[@nme_mma]

Exactly. Thus video / channel is always trying to diminish Islams Ws. Biased asf.

[@stephenhughes5156]

Volk is a Featherweight and clearly wasn't prepared for the 2nd fight. Dustin also had no business fighting for the title at that point. Don't get me wrong, Islam is definitely the best fighter in the world (p4p) but his title defences aren't all that impressive with the exception of Charles and certainly not as impressive as Khabib beating Justin, Dustin and Conor all in their prime.

[@CYMotorsport]

“The criteria by which we judge fights is subjective” brother what are you talking about? By this standard of what you mention here every sport is subjective not just mma. You’re conflating “arbitrary” with “subjective”. MMA has hyper specific guidelines to scoring. The application of those guidelines has interpretation but that’s not the same as “subjective”. Eg Formula 1 easily has the most complex and robust set of technical regulations in any major sport by a country mile. Would you call it “ subjective” ? Probably not. But universally you’d be recognized as being wrong. ironically it’s that interpretation of said guidelines that makes a fast car unbeatable vs middling. Any racing fan will know exactly what I mean. What makes a front wing “moveable aero” really? At what stage is fuel flow detected? These things have exact figures that need to be met but subjective interpretation of these rules has created environments where cars possess massive advantages. I feel like you misunderstood what Frank Robinson meant by the iconic phrase. He was using it EXACTLY how it’s applied if one were to say Volk vs Islam was close. The often neglected part of his quote is “close don’t count in baseball”. Literally the exact same thing you’re saying haha. So you’re objective incorrect. MMA contests have a way that is prescriptive and robust to score winners of bouts. “Close only counts” saying applies here as Islam beat a highly ranked opponent which is yet another established precedent designed to mitigate subjectivity in a non team league/ table format sport. Moreover im not even an Islam mega fan but trying to discredit his run while failing to apply the same logic to every other champion is preposterous. That’s why there’s little merit discrediting a resume unless you’re willing to go all the way. Islam beat a prime Charles - that carries a lot more weight one could argue than Khabib beating Al laquinta on equally short notice for a vacant belt and Justin along with Dustin - the latter of which Islam also stopped. I love how beating volk didn’t count as a big win lol he made the lightweight limit and was prepared. That volk that night beats a majority if not all of the contenders.

[@WhereIsSchmitty]

I disagree with almost everything. Islam has already surpassed Khabib and would win a fight between the two. Dana said Arman isn’t next. Charles and DP don’t deserve it. Islam needs to go to 170lbs for double champ Merab is already the bantamweight bantamweight GOAT by resume, wins, everything

[@onlycommentsonmobile]

Merab had his Sakuraba moment and we cannot say enough about how impressive that was

[@username19237]

Merab doing the Nate Diaz point and laugh while Umar fell over himself was peak

[@beef9]

I disagree that its too early to call islam and merab the goats of their division. I think both of these wins cemented them clearly. Records broken from both fighters and the competition theyve beaten surpasses the likes of their comparisons. Super excited to see these goats further their legacy even more!

[@TMeek94]

You can't just look at a number and say he passed them There's other things to consider, like the fact that none of islams title challengers beat a top 5 lightweight to earn their shot

[@alfrdhrnndz]

​@@TMeek94 Twice P4P #1 Volk > Prime Conor P4P #3 Oliveira > Prime Gaethje Current Dustin >= 2020 Dustin what are you talking about casual

[@shadowzeenko3653]

Poirier beat Gaethje Hooker Holloway McGregor and only lost to Khabib and Oliveira during his prime

[@TMeek94]

@alfrdhrnndz I never said he wasn't you "casual" I'm just saying you should consider other things than just a number He lost to volk a featherweight, could only beat him on short notice Charles is definitely better than Justin Saying current Dustin is a better win is just silly When Dustin fought khabib he was on a 4 fight win streak and was interim champ When he fought Islam he was 2-2 in his last 4, both losses were finishes, on a 1 fight win streak against the #10 ranked guy lol Not a single one of islams Challengers have earned the shot by beating a top 5 lightweight, that's pretty crazy isn't? But again, with all that said I'd still probably put him number 1

[@beef9]

@TMeek94 i mean, idk if how you win the belt is as important as the people youve fought in general. Khabib whos the other lightweight goat won it off of al iaquinta who was rank 11. The volk fight was close but i watched that fight over several times and still think islam won 1 2 and 4 and i think volk is by far his best win considering volk is one of the greatest fighters of the modern era if not ever, its not just about him being a weight division below its pretty common knowledge the lighter you go in weight, the technical skill increases in fighters

[@sadatshams1423]

Honest opinion: Had khabib not been out of action for so long with his injuries, history would have been different. His injuries pushed his title run further back - making his rivalry with McGregor the perfect storm for a huge ppv

[@Khadersheriff]

That Iaquinta fight made Khabib look kind of beatable, Conor got caught in that hook

[@zeked4200]

​@@Khadersheriff Conor was also coming off a two year layoff to box Floyd "Maywedder". He got exactly what he deserved acting like he could step right in and take on Khabib...but it would have been nice to see that fight with *both* fighters at their peak.

[@Khadersheriff]

@@zeked4200 peak nothing bro... Conor just didn't ever have the skills to beat Khabib. An elite wrestler, with Judo, pretty good striking and has big sambo experience, Against basically a sharpshooter? It's physically, logically, practically and every othericly not possible to Win

[@jonathanday5647]

​@Khadersheriff a 50-43 made Khabib look beatable? Dude flipped his gameplan just to prove a point and still won every second of the fight

[@aquatazer]

⁠@@Khadersheriffsaying Khabib had “pretty good striking” and reducing peak Conor to “sharpshooting” is so disingenuous it’s not even funny haha.

[@Last_Chance.]

Jiri was so spastic in the fight. It was almost funny the way he was moving around. Great fight

[@westbrook0853]

💀💀💀

[@KolossusB]

Skill wise, i have no doubt he's the best LW ever. It's very clear to see the level he operates on is just in a league of it's own. Elite level skill in almost all areas of the fight.

[@stephenhughes5156]

Skill wise- I agree. Resume wise- I'm not too sure about that (currently anyway).

[@roysauto7674]

I don't watch the PPVs live (I wait until they're available on Fight Pass) so it's always a treat to wake up Sunday morning to these Autopsies. Thanks so much for getting them out quickly!

[@TMeek94]

Are you not available to watch them live? There are free sites

[@ashleyalexander7388]

When it all settles, Islam will be the best lightweight in history regardless. We don't look at the past with a microscope, we look at it

[@andbo7937]

He’s already lightweight goat for sure these guys are stuck in the past

[@jozefhorniak8191]

@@andbo7937 funny like they didn´t even mention that Islam beat Charles.

[@johnnycheckpoint8431]

I’m not a Georgian, but Merab’s success makes me very happy and somewhat proud. I’ve been telling people about Merab since his debut. I told my friend back when Petr Yan was champ that Merab would be champ and also beat Yan one day. He didn’t believe me. Look where we are now. I’ve been looking forward to this coming true, and so far it has and it’s been great.

[@drago_024]

Same, after merab destroyed Yan I knew he was the best at 135.

[@stock694]

Much love for your videos and efforts! Happy New year to you and the team

[@ngare.k]

Islam is the greatest fighter on the planet rn. He also is the greatest lightweight OAT. There are so many valid arguments for this, Idk how it could be controversial.

[@therealclp]

Merab is already the bantamweight GOAT imo

[@llawliet3733]

I would say he still needs to rack up some defenses but then totally yes in my book.

[@MarDuBronx]

@@llawliet3733O’Malley , Yan , Aldo, Umar, cejudo, is better wins than DJ (at his wrong weight class), TJ and Faber.

[@MordecaiandMonroe]

feel like mma goat is just a impossible discussion but hey people love this stuff

[@lx5786]

Honestly it wouldnt be if there wasnt a large mob of people who only support fighters based on religion and shit up every discussion in MMA

[@DrSpaceman42]

​@@lx5786yep people basically support based on nationality and politics its stupid

[@MordecaiandMonroe]

@lx5786 I still think regardless of that you just can't compare jon jones and conor

[@menobeast1227]

Top 5 LW All-Time 1. Adriano Martins 2. Gleison Tibau 3. Anthony Pettis 4. Gray Maynard 5. Jens Pulver

[@_Idonthaveaname]

Did anyone else notice how every undefeated fighter who fought on this card lost there 0….thats really crazy to me. This sport is really hard to go undefeated in. U really have to be the goat or fight nothing but bums to get to 29-0…😂

[@eedeatlikkle3652]

Khabib the goat for me, and Islam #2 lightweight

[@Jinocidal]

Thought there would be more on Payton. I felt that he was so hyped going in. To see him lose 30-27 is surprising

[@CornerStoreDrums]

MMA On Point the goat 💯

[@nathanmraz403]

Dana himself confirmed Arman's gotta earn his shot again

[@DrSpaceman42]

"Arman Tsarukyan was never my friend"

[@tawandaJerry]

Khabib also caught some cans tbh

[@yasararafatha3139]

Khabib has no competition not even now

[@matierk637]

More than Islam honestly

[@StylesP710]

Who tf y’all want him to fight when that’s what the ufc had to offer? Guys were moving up and down weight classes lmao. Y’all just talk to talk like sheep

[@OliverOils]

he also pulled out a lot Islam takes more risks

[@cg69005]

​@@matierk637beating Volk twice and Charles is way more impressive than Justin and Conor

[@aronviranyi458]

I don't know how we aren't really talking about how Islam dominated Charles who was at the top of his game

[@jozefhorniak8191]

yeah it was weird not to mention that in this video.

[@DrSpaceman42]

Yep his most impressive win imo. A guy his size, in his prime, with actual ground game. And he took him out with ease

[@IYIono]

Ilia vs Islam makes sense right now for Ilia because he’s coming off the two clearly best in his division and would want to capitalize on the clearest money fight. Islam can fight a few more in his division to cement his legacy

[@lionelrivera_MMA]

I don't disagree. I think Islam may retire as not only the greatest lightweight but the greatest....period

[@DrSpaceman42]

The greatest period 🩸

[@sanjayr]

GSP, Mighty Mouse and Fedor might have something to say about that. Islam is not the best ever compared to the legacy of those guys just yet.

[@Daniel-uo8um]

🧢

[@westbrook0853]

@@sanjayrfedor is crazy 🤣🤣🤣

[@alfrdhrnndz]

​@@sanjayrgsp and mighty mouse fought cans

[@xKGRB]

Do you guys maybe wanna let your fans that are paying you money know that you're no longer doing the members only videos?

[@MMAOnPoint]

Yo just did a quick member update vid! Check it out and let me know what you think!

[@JimmySaint43]

"What's next for Schroedingers GOAT" is definitely one of Tommy "Toe Holds" top lines 😂 Glad we got ya for this one Tommy!

[@nme_mma]

Absolutely 💯

[@rjhooper9226]

i would argue this win doesn’t push him forward at all. It went exactly how i thought it would

[@johnprincewill5486]

Stop the cap 😂😂😂😂 a ton of y'all Said he was a tough one for Islam

[@rjhooper9226]

@ Idk who would say that. Monica o had zero chance

[@jonathanday5647]

But that's not fair on Islam, arman pulled out, Islam fought a whole different opponent on a days notice and Moicao had nothing to lose, it was the most dangerous fight for Islam in his reign. When you see guys like Jones turn down Sonnen, and see guys like Adesanya and Rockhold lost to short notice opponents, it definitely gives Islam's title reign more meaning

[@TMeek94]

What a rare sight, someone else with common sense Beating someone who didn't deserve a title shot shouldn't make you a better champion Which is arguably all his title challengers, none of them beat a top 5 lightweight to earn the shot

[@OliverOils]

​@@johnprincewill5486who tf said that😂 it's a short notice fight but yes, it does kinda push him forward into the convo it's definitely a better win than fucking Al Iaquinta on short notice

[@foxstevens1012]

I'm always worried about conversations such as this by MMA fans because it's almost always a way of trying to cause issues between these two stablemates.

[@Chris-lk9ug]

3:50 yeah it was a huge slap in the face to Merab but that was an incredible fight. A majority of fans were crying about how boring it was. Absolutely absurd to call that fight boring. Then Jiri vs Hill was incredible too. Jiri wanting to square up with Jamal why the doctor was still trying to check his eye 😂 dudes an animal. What a finish. 311 was 💰

[@dakotasmith9878]

The Barry Sanders comment was crazy lol, the only RBs since in the conversation with Barry are LT and AP and while they have similar peaks they do not have similar consistency of high level production... and they both played on better teams than Sanders.

[@RoyGoren-bi6mi]

Great event with some huge upsets (maybe not retrospectively) Who's next for both champios?

[@B69ne]

EVERYTHING Tommy said, 100 percent agree. Islam has a little more work to do. And then again, if Islam goes up and wins, end of discussion. He's right there and has options. Not only that his next win he ties Anderson silva at 16 straight wins.

[@Karim-8055]

Masterclass. This guy is insane.

[@declan92100]

Islam beat Moicano on late notice.. Not that impressive and definitely doesn't make him P4P greatest.. It's really frustrating all his fights keep falling apart late notice it's hard to give him full credit for the Volk KO too

[@sporemaster97]

Exactly, he got hit literally twice by the shortest notice opponent and immediately just went to the ground like a douche, he stood with Volk, too, so extra lame on his part. He saw his brother get whooped and went "imma take the easy way out"

[@Robert399]

Next I want to see: Umar vs O'Malley, Islam vs Arman, Topuria vs Lopes (then the super fight if they both win) and Jiri vs Ankalaev after the Pereira-Ankalaev fight (if Pereira wins that fight, let him have his HW super fight _against Tom_ not Jon). Idk who Merab fights next - maybe the next to get a win out of Yan, Sandhagen and Figueiredo?

[@sporemaster97]

Regardless of whether you like Jon or not, Tom is a better match up for Alex anyway. Jon is a slippery sumbitch with submissions, and Alex is still very green in that department, Tom much more likely to stand with him, which is a better stylistic match up.

[@JezzaTheChamp]

Merab is finally the champ the division needs.

[@Seniormando]

You da man Tommy

[@mikeCD62]

The way i see it, a dominant first round sub over a top 10 guy is just as impressive as a back and forth war with a top 3 guy. Very few 155ers in history would be expected to run through moicano in under a round and beat him at his own game

[@JoeyyTube]

Yes he is better than Kabib, he was a fight ago.

[@nicolasstarheart2903]

I keep saying this for the people who want that double champ status… You work for TKO. Your sibling company is the WWE, who has working relationships with TNA, GCW, and Pro Wrestling NOAH. The NXT Heritage Cup is the closest pro wrestling championship to having MMA rules that anyone under the TKO umbrella can capture. Just chase that Cup to keep yourself active on TV until your next fight booking, and stay at your weight class for MMA so nothing gets fucked around with.

[@ynotefil]

MMA Right On Point 💯

[@ARMY-ep6fz]

Islam is very close to becoming the new 155 Goat in my book. One thing in his favor, is that Islam has a higher finish rate than kahbib. Islam is a finisher, and I'm not going to discount him for something out of his control. He can't control fighters getting injured and dropping out. I think he will pass kahbib in a year or two, and become the goat of 155. He'll definitely pass kahbib if he goes and wins a belt at 170 if belal loses the belt.

[@JKMeZmA]

Fights I wanna see this year: - Illia Topuria v Alexander Volkanovski 2 - Michael Venom Page v Stephen Thompson - Illia Topuria v Diego Lopez - Max Holloway v Dustin Porier 2 (Retirement fight for Dustin) - Charles Olivera v Max Holloway 2 - Shara Magomedov v Bo Nickal - Benoit St Denis v Rafael Fizev - Kayla Harrison v Juliana Pena - Dominic Cruz v Cody Garbrandt 2 - Aljamain Sterling v Arnold Allen - Lerone Murphy v Josh Emmett - Paddy Pimblett v Beneil Dariush - Alexandre Pantoja v Merab

[@TheRandomOfMMA]

It’s undeniable, even with the asterisks attached to his title reign he’s the 155 GOAT.

[@CrispColdChris]

Idk if I've ever 180'd on a fighter after 1 fight like I did with Merab last night. Hated his fights spamming takedowns, but to win a stand-up fight vs Umar was the most unexpected outcome..

[@RINGSx5]

Dude Merab is the bantamweight GOAT. He’s beaten Yan, Aldo, Omalley, Umar, Cejudo, Moraes. And this dude still has the audacity to say he’s almost at Cruz? Bro that’s like saying “OMG Pereira is almost gonna surpass Tito Ortiz at LHW.” Cmon this channel needs to do better.

[@user-qu3zf3pj8s]

❤️🙏🇺🇸🧔 Thank you sir TOMMY aka THOR ❤️🙏🌎

[@kwazikwenkosisibiya1360]

My favorite show looking forward to the years cards and dissection

[@nikidos7303]

islam never pulled out from title fight. he is my GOAT.

[@louiematarazzo]

Why are not many people bringing up the 15 fight win streak when mentioning lightweight goat status. It’s crazy, tied for 2nd longest ever and most title defenses ? That’s insane

[@bradleydolphin1049]

Merab is a fucking savage

[@Seeloknya_Sebaiknya]

Firstly the most important facts we should understand is every division and fighters in UFC have different stories and situations. Same goes to LW. . Lightweight category always bit messy and changing bit fast and bit slow especially top 5. Most of them already fight eachother. . For new and arising fighters, only Arman break top 5, but sadly pull out last minute. . Some fighters and fans criticise Islam Makhachev resume for his "lack" of top opponents. But not his faults. During his rising to title fight, most fighters especially top fighter avoid him, only Dan Hooker (no 6) want to fight him within short notice. Get title shot after win with Bobby Green, short notice too. Not his fault too.. so agree with you. But what else he should do????? . So bit weird and awkward with lightweight division. Best and competitive division. . Who should fight the title shot with Makhachev? All top 5 are busy each other, injured,, Makhachev ex opponents. So suitable opponents is Charles Oliviera. Or maybe Max, or Topuira. Who knows... But still... Fans including you will said same. 👀 Lower division fighters, rematch, and so on. 🤣🤣🤣🤣 . About Arman. He have same situation with Khabib when he hospitalised. Khabib fight another fighter to deserve another title shot. . Who Arman should fight? Maybe Max?

[@TurophilePublication]

Whatever happened to the live watch parties for UFC fights?

[@MunchFaceBro]

Arman was making his debut and had short notice. Hooker had short notice and was Islam's only ranked opponent before getting handed a shot on a silver platter. Green was unranked and took it on short notice. He called for, got the offer, and ducked RDA. He lost 2 rounds to a featherweight after using an illegal IV. He beat a featherweight who took it on short notice. Beat Dustin who was talking about retiring. Beat #10 who didn't prepare for a wrestler. And he popped for meldonium. The answer it no.

[@iansmall6918]

He’s cool and I like to watch him but idk BJ Penn being the goat at lightweight just feels right I mean damn he was so exciting back in the day

[@GutsOnAScoot]

Islam for sure is the coolest Champ in UFC ever.

[@reptilez13]

Crazy night, didn't see Payton and Umar losing. I think Umar wins a rematch eventually, he's only 29 so he's got time. Plus if he actually broke his hand that's big, also Merab is the lamest fighter imo lol. Doesn't go for subs, just repeat TDs over and over, or lay and tap-punches to maintain control time. Lame.

[@jasonthedrummer]

I'm happy to give the lightweight GOAT honor to Islam if he gets one more win. Can definitely make that argument now, but I think it's a tad premature.

[@rooseveltcade3935]

Straight fire 🔥

[@damienroberts5081]

I agree!

[@federicoarmando8359]

The Conor that Khabib beat was the best version of Conor just as much as current Dustin would be the "best version" of Dustin...

[@Alexanderfranksofficial]

Merab is in an odd spot in terms of who he faces next, cause in this era a UFC champ would first work their way to rankings, then take out a few of the top 15/10 fighters then take out someone in the top 3 or 5 to get their shot. If they win then their defences are in the top 3 or 5 they havent fought yet and are coming off of wins but because Merab had such a long journey to the title he already took out the top 3 guys in convincing fashion and corey and devidson are coming off of losses, so now Merab basically gotta wait to see how the next few fights play out.

[@NorthridgeOG]

I think three title defenses is required before you have a super fight imo in regards to Illa challenging Islam

[@joelcruz2873]

Agree!

[@nickgrant2625]

Based Tommy. Best light weight ever without the resume yet to match it

[@RoucarnageH1N1]

Again with the goat debate. Undefeated for ten years, fiften wins in a row, and still people wonder "but was he better than this other guy who fought different people in different times with different results ???". What does it matter at this point.

[@freddie514]

Before watching, i just want to throw out quality of opponent, and how the fight was won. Conor, Dustin, & Justin all by finish (looked more dominant against arguably harder opposition each fight) VS Volk (Some think volk won), Volk on 9 days, half retired Dustin (Really pushed Islam right up to the finish), and Moicano on a days notice. Islam is GREAT, make no mistake. But theres a reason they chant "Khabib! Khabib! Khabib!" Whenever Islam is around. The damage dealt to Islam against Poirier alone was more then Khabib absorbed across his entire career. Khabib had an aura, and sense of invincibility about him that Islam just hasnt achieved.

[@Leodicapri0]

Jon Jones vs Khabib the undefeated eagle would be a matchup of historic class tho...

[@PrmeTme1025]

Merab vs Sandhagen !!! Sandhagen should’ve gotten a title shot but decided to give Umar a shot. Set it up !

[@milfueillefirdaus2030]

King of short notice fight Bobby green, dan hooker, volk2, moicano all 1st round finish.

[@omarwaleed9693]

Not his fault, he is on a 15 win streak nonetheless, he doesn’t miss weight

[@dilarch.]

Sure but If he is beating Charles and prepared Volk are we supossed to think that Bobby, Hooker and Moicano can beat him with full camp?

[@stoneroses8818]

Short notice fight is not easy. Its like you study for a subject but then the exam paper shows a different subject. Both for Islam and his opponents. The stakes are higher

[@Hamerparsa]

They don’t do the podcast anymore ?

[@jonathanriveracollazo9765]

I would have loved to hear tommy say something about not hearing Jamahal Hill gloating until the end of time. LMFAO

[@Gssy2x]

best MMA channel

[@JosephTongret]

"Schrödinger's Goat" is the perfect description of these conversational debates 🤣

[@pansnemesis]

So bummed... Ended up knocking out on the couch during the Holland fight, i gotta go back and watch everything i missed.

[@a-damthemansixtynan4463]

I'd like to see Islam drop to 145 and take out Ilia. But he's talking about going to Middleweight instead. He's probably right...this late in his career, it's safer to gain weight rather than lose it.

[@Imjustsaying1966]

Why is everybody so obsessed with comparing apples to oranges and trying to determine which ones the best? There is no one best.

[@zcl812]

Big Islam fan but the first Volk win was hardly a win and the second win against him was on very short notice and cant really be viewed the same as his other wins. The fight that won him the belt was a much more impressive win than Khabib's however. It's disappointing that Islams next fight will probably be with Olives because I think if he secured a clear win over Arman next he would definitely have earned lightweight GOAT status. Very excited to see where his career goes!

[@andbo7937]

“Was hardly a win” ur insane

[@TMeek94]

Yea they are gonna give him Charles, padding the hell out of his stats lol that will be 5 challengers in a row who didn't beat a top 5 lightweight to earn the shot

[@Robert399]

I would rank Islam above Khabib (barely). I largely agree with what you said but 2 things I'd add onto it. First, I think winning the title is part of the title reign, and Oliveira is a WAY better win than Iaquinta. Second, yes, Volk 2 was not prime Volk, but Islam beat him with a strategy change where Volk's training camp probably wouldn't have made a difference. (The only way you can argue it made a difference is if Volk was being reckless because he knew he had less cardio than usual.)

[@reggieeeee]

i truly think jon jones had something against dana. or dana owned jones a fight and possibly a substantial amount of money because his shift in attitude after the stipe fight about jon had been significant

[@GettingNegative]

Honestly, someone needs to talk to Dana about this, didn’t he hear about Jon’s legacy? What about Jon’s legacy guys?!?!?!

[@2piecenobisuit763]

He’s not getting payed like a P4P best 200k for ufc 311 is crazy work

[@BlackWolf-vs6uo]

Should also mention that Umar broke his hand in the first round. And he he didnt get steamrolled it was 3-2