Javier Mendez says UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi represents the “perfect time to shine” for Islam Makhachev, with his highly rated pupil backed to secure the lightweight title against Charles Oliveira and then primed to dominate the division.
Makhachev, the No 4-ranked contender at 155 lbs, takes on recent champion Oliveira for the vacant lightweight belt in the headline bout at Etihad Arena on Saturday night.
Mendez, Makhachev’s long-time coach, has spent the past month in Dubai with the Dagestani athlete, retired former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and team, and says that preparations for the biggest bout of Makhachev’s career are going “fantastic”.
“He’s on track; mentally, physically, body’s healthy,” Mendez told The National. “Everything’s going great, sparring’s going good for him. Morale, everything. It’s perfect time for Islam to shine and take over Khabib’s legacy as UFC lightweight champion.
"Islam is 100 per cent focused and he’s ready for this challenge because he hasn’t gotten the belt yet and he still needs to get it. Once he gets it more improvements are going to come; he’s going to get sharper, tighter in his game. The more you fight at a high level - five-round, championship-calibre type of performance - the better you’re going to get.
“As long as you don’t take damage and you keep improving step-by-step. I’ve never seen a champion get worst once they win the title; I’ve seen them get better. And that’ll be the case with Islam also.”
Makhachev, 31, has been beaten once in 23 professional MMA fights, and comes into Saturday’s contest having won his past 10.
Oliveira, though, rides an 11-fight win streak, with his most recent victory coming against Justin Gaethje in May – one day after he had been stripped of the title for narrowly missing weight.
Still, Makhachev is considered the favourite heading into Saturday’s clash.
“It’s a step up in challenge, for sure, because Charles is the champion,” Mendez said. “We consider him the true champion.
“But I don’t see it as a huge step up in reference to who Islam was going to fight: Beneil [Dariush], [Dustin] Poirier, Justin Gaethje. Those three are the same to me. They’re interchangeable.
“And Charles has beaten two of those. At the same time, Charles had to get up from the ground to do it too. So he took some damage in the process of beating those individuals.
“But I don’t think it’s taken its toll on Charles. Charles is in his prime and he’s out to prove that he’s the best. When the champion is being talked about as high as he has - they’re regarding him in the pound-for-pound ranking - and yet Islam is the favourite, it doesn’t sit well with the champion... ‘I’m the champion and I'm being made me the underdog?’ He has something to prove.”
Mendez, however, said he is not surprised Makhachev has been installed as favourite for what is his first UFC title bout.
“Because outside of a couple fights, mishaps - one he was really sick but still got the decision, and the other one [in 2015] he got knocked out when he made the wrong judgement - he's been flawless,” Mendez said. “That's why people were making him their favourite, because they watch what he's done.
“Charles hasn't been flawless. He's been fantastic the way he gets back up from adversity. You got to give it to the man: most people would be done, but not this guy.
“He’s resilient, he comes back from struggling, takes care of them. He's an incredible fighter. No ifs or buts about that.”
Mendez, founder of American Kickboxing Academy, was integral to Nurmagomedov’s Hall of Fame career, and was in his corner as the Dagestan native claimed UFC gold and climbed to 13-0 in the promotion before retiring undefeated, at 29-0, in Abu Dhabi in late 2020.
Understandably, Mendez says the confidence in Makhachev stems from having watched him grow as a fighter since he began working with Team Khabib.
“It’s well placed because of how well I know him,” Mendez said. “I said recently and I back my statement: Islam’s the most well-rounded lightweight fighter in the history of the UFC.
“Someone can tell me who's better. Who's better on the ground? Who’s better in stand-up? Who’s better at submissions? Who's better at throws? If you can give me somebody, give it.
“Because he's the best I've ever seen as far as arsenal. He’s got the best arsenal out of anybody I've ever seen in the lightweight division.”
On Saturday, Makhachev is sure to enjoy the majority of support inside Etihad Arena. A regular visitor to the UAE, he has described the Emirates as his second home, while he has fought, and won, twice already in the capital.
Mendez said the “home” crowd can provide extra motivation, but that Makhachev must not be distracted by it.
Asked how Makhachev, who will also have Nurmagomedov in his corner, would cope with the pressure to perform, Mendez said: “By relaxing, stay focused on the fight at hand. That's how he handles it. Just stay relaxed. You have a fight to win - go out and get it done.
“And he’s got his training partner, his mentor, his brother, in Khabib who's been with him for ever. Islam has been there for Khabib all the way through all those championship fights, been his main sparring partner. And Khabib’s doing the same to him.
“So having that connection and Khabib being exactly like his father [Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov] in the coaching. It's a great thing for him to go into this fight having Khabib there in his corner. Khabib plays a huge role in this fight and will be a big influence on Islam."
Mendez says he has prepared Makhachev for a five-round encounter - as he would usually for any of his fighters - but expects him to secure the crown on Saturday and then go plough through the lightweight division.
“You never know what's going to happen, how many times he’s going to want to defend it,” Mendez said. “He may do three, four, five times and move into business like Khabib.
“It's hard to say. I see Islam winning the title, him getting better, him defending the title, and I see him go through the division, which is what he’s going to need to do. That's what all champions do: they go through the division.”
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
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Indoor Cricket World Cup
Venue Insportz, Dubai, September 16-23
UAE squad Saqib Nazir (captain), Aaqib Malik, Fahad Al Hashmi, Isuru Umesh, Nadir Hussain, Sachin Talwar, Nashwan Nasir, Prashath Kumara, Ramveer Rai, Sameer Nayyak, Umar Shah, Vikrant Shetty
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
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UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
About Housecall
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