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Cain Velasquez has reflected on the time he had an inkling that Islam Makhachev had something special within.
Makhachev has been a longtime member of the American Kickboxing Academy team, and he has sparred with some legendary names, such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, and Velasquez. Makhachev has turned into a living legend in MMA, having won UFC gold in the lightweight and welterweight divisions.
Velasquez was by Makhachev’s side long before he became the pound-for-pound great he is today, and he looked back on when he first noticed the surefire future Hall of Famer’s elite traits during an appearance on the “Shawn Ryan Show” (via MMAFighting.com).
“I like them all,” Velasquez said. “I’m not like a fan of it like I used to be, but I know guys have certain skills like Islam, one of my teammates, one of Khabib’s guys. Khabib and Islam.
“Islam is f*cking so skilled in the game, like f*cking good everywhere. To where he was coming up, I’d spar with him, like light sparring, and he’d hit me with stuff—and nobody hits me with stuff—but he’d hit me with stuff, I’m like, ‘Where the f*ck did that come from? This guy’s good.’”
Makhachev recently revealed that his next fight will be “one of the last” of his career. An interim welterweight title fight has been booked for UFC 336 in Toronto. Carlos Prates and the undefeated Michael Morales will collide with the gold at stake and a chance to unify against Makhachev at some point in 2027.
There’s no word on exactly how many more fights Makhachev plans on having after he meets the winner of Prates vs. Morales, but it doesn’t sound like he has much more time in the sport.
What were your initial thoughts on Islam Makhachev when you first saw him rising up the UFC ranks? Were you impressed right away, or did you need some time to believe he’d get to an elite level? Let us know in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
