Islam Makhachev explained how combat sambo helped him surprise an opponent in the UFC

Makhachev on the advantage of sambo

Current UFC welterweight champion and former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev said in an interview with Gazeta.Ru, how his combat sambo skills once helped him catch an opponent off guard. Makhachev, who is a world champion and two-time Russian champion in combat sambo, gave an example from his own experience: after the bout, the opponent's cornerman came up to him and admitted that the entire team's preparation had been focused on defending against sweeps, throws and hooks, while Makhachev's striking work came as a surprise to them.

Comparison with MMA and jiu-jitsu

According to Makhachev, sambo has no restrictions, and he considers combat sambo even tougher than MMA, since there you can grab a hold, and the opponent will unexpectedly land a hook. The effectiveness of combat sambo practitioners, in his view, lies in the fact that they are developed at all levels — they can both strike on their feet and wrestle. The champion also gave a critical assessment of jiu-jitsu, noting that there are many fighters from that sport in the UFC, but it is of little use for MMA: to apply jiu-jitsu techniques, you first need to take the opponent down, and its practitioners lack that skill, since all their grappling takes place on the ground. The article ends with a reference to Makhachev's earlier statement about his key skill for success in the UFC, published on Gazeta.press.