Muhammed Lawal explains why fighters must abandon technique and embrace pressure when facing grapplers like Islam Makhachev.
Elite wrestling continued to shape the UFC landscape throughout 2025, with multiple championship bouts drawing criticism for their lack of balance due to the widening skill gap on the mat. The ability to control where a fight takes place has become one of the most decisive weapons in modern MMA, and many contenders across several divisions still lack the tools to counter it effectively.
Islam Makhachev’s evolution as a mixed martial artist has been impressive, but it is his relentless grappling that keeps him firmly in the conversation for Fighter of the Year. Now, a veteran figure who played a major role in introducing that dominant wrestling style to the American scene believes there is only one reliable way to challenge fighters of that caliber.
Muhammed Lawal explains how to fight dominant wrestlers
Khabib Nurmagomedov joined the UFC in 2012 and soon began training at the American Kickboxing Academy, a move that transformed the sport’s competitive landscape. Muhammed Lawal was instrumental in connecting Nurmagomedov with head coach Javier Mendez, helping to establish the blueprint for the wave of elite wrestlers that followed.
Speaking with MMA Junkie after Khamzat Chimaev’s dominant middleweight title win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 and Makhachev’s similar performance against Jack Della Maddalena to capture the welterweight belt, Lawal said technical precision alone is not enough to defeat such fighters.
According to Lawal, the only chance is to force them into a grueling pace and fight with relentless aggression. Drawing on Ross Puritty’s shock victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 1998, he explained that while you cannot out-technique these athletes, you can try to outwork and outlast them by constantly pressuring, accepting damage, scrambling back to your feet and dragging them into an exhausting battle.
Lawal questions whether Makhachev and Chimaev will still hold their titles by the end of 2026
Despite his admiration for both champions, Lawal stopped short of predicting long reigns for either man when speaking with MMA Fighting. The 44-year-old raised questions about how Makhachev’s dominance might translate against opponents with stronger wrestling credentials, mentioning potential matchups with Kamaru Usman, Shavkat Rakhmonov and Yaroslav Amosov as true tests.
In the same conversation, Lawal suggested that Khamzat Chimaev’s style could eventually be challenged by fighters with exceptional endurance, naming Anthony “Fluffy” Hernandez as a possible threat due to his pace and gas tank. While acknowledging Chimaev’s fearsome reputation, Lawal stressed that in MMA, certainty is rare and styles make fights.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
