Velasquez explains how Makhachev surprised him in training
Cain Velasquez said Islam Makhachev, now the UFC welterweight (up to 77.1kg) champion, landed shots on him that nobody else could when the pair trained light early in the Russian's career. At 35, Makhachev has 29 wins and one defeat, with 13 submissions and five knockouts.
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Cain Velasquez relembrou os treinos com um companheiro de equipe que o surpreendia. Velasquez, que foi campeão dos pesados (até 120,2 kg) no UFC, contou que Islam Makhachev, duplo campeão do Ultimate, acertava golpes que ninguém mais conseguia.
Em entrevista publicada na quinta-feira (29), o americano contou que a qualidade técnica do parceiro chamou atenção logo no começo da carreira do russo, quando treinavam leve — e que aquilo revelava um talento diferenciado, capaz de achar brechas que outros atletas não aproveitavam.
“O Islam é muito habilidoso no jogo, muito bom em tudo, a ponto de, quando ele estava começando, eu treinar com ele, treinos leves, e ele me acertava com golpes que ninguém mais conseguia me acertar. Mas ele me acertava. Eu ficava tipo, ‘Que p**** é essa?’. Então eu pensava, ‘Esse cara é bom’”, disse Velasquez.
Aos 35 anos, Makhachev é hoje dono do cinturão dos meio-médios (até 77,1 kg) do UFC. O russo tem 29 vitórias e uma derrota, com 13 finalizações e cinco nocautes.
Antes, foi campeão dos leves (até 70,3 kg) e assina uma das campanhas mais dominantes dos últimos anos, com vitórias sobre Charles do Bronx, Dustin Poirier, Alexander Volkanovski e Ian Machado Garry, além de 17 triunfos seguidos no Ultimate.
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