UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev sits down with ESPN Australia’s Sam Bruce to discuss his wrestling background and …
[Music] when I was young we know we wrestle everywhere in the street in the school in the village you know I’m a good wrestler because I’m from Dagestan and you know Pakistan this is best Republic in the world you know very small Republic but we have many Olympic champions in some country kids play soccer when they was young but our Republic when we was kids we start to do wrestling you know you have to wrestle all your life that’s why all fighters from Dagestan have good wrestling skills because you cannot prepare for the some some fighters who have good wrestling like couple months this is not kickboxing or some like strikings you can improve your strikes like couple months but for the wrestling in my opinion you think you have to wrestle all life you know you can ask you know like some driver like Uber driver everybody was wrestled before he is a good very good Striker or he don’t have like Long Reach but how he closed the distance he very good on that but about his wrestling I don’t know too much we will check you have to be ready everywhere like fight is going to be everywhere you know because this is MMA you have to be ready every level you know wrestling striking ground grappling that’s why I’m training always hard doesn’t matter who is opponent foreign of course the people from Australia support him but I’m not amateur I have big experience in this sport that’s why this is not pressure for me or some things cage kind of close and I’m gonna be with Alex and all the people just gonna watch every MMA fighters want to be best fighter in the world this is my dream this is my new motivation you know around 55 it’s my area nobody can jump from other weight class and you know say something this is my area you’re the man at one five five yes thanks for watching ESPN on YouTube for live streaming Sports and premium content subscribe to ESPN Plus