Islam Makhachev is 'The One,' Say Legends Israel Adesanya and Demetrious Johnson

Islam Makhachev is widely considered the top mixed martial artist in the sport today, a sentiment echoed by two all-time greats: Israel Adesanya and Demetrious Johnson. Following Makhachev's victory over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 on August 15th, the former two-time UFC middleweight champion shared his thoughts with "Mighty Mouse" on their podcast, Precision with Mighty and Izzy.

In an excerpt of their conversation shared on X by user @RedCorner_MMA, Adesanya stated, "Islam [Makhachev] just proved that he’s the best out of the bunch. I like Usman [Nurmagomedov] as well because I like the way he kicks. He’s got that taekwondo flow. But when you put it all together, when it comes to mixed martial arts, yeah, Islam is the one. He’s the best fighter in the world right now. Again, he keeps fighting guys I like. So I keep picking against him… It’s like he can’t keep getting no wins, no [laughs]. My parlays! Nah, nah, I’m joking [laughs]."

'Mighty Mouse' concurred with Adesanya's assessment that the Dagestan-based champion is currently the top pound-for-pound fighter. The former UFC and ONE Championship titleholder found humor in Adesanya's dilemma of consistently picking against Makhachev because he enjoys watching his opponents.

Khabib Nurmagomedov Also Praises Islam Makhachev After Historic UFC 330 Title Defense

Islam Makhachev, closely associated with his legendary mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov, has also received significant praise from the former UFC lightweight champion. In the aftermath of UFC 330, Nurmagomedov took to Instagram to commend his star pupil's impressive victory in Philadelphia. He stated, "There’s a word: Achievement. In sports, it means a lot, and Islam and ‘achievement’ are synonyms. He has reached the pinnacle of this sport, broken the record for the longest winning streak in UFC history, and is rightfully considered one of the best athletes to ever step into the Octagon. May the Almighty keep you safe, Brother."