Islam Makhachev has continued to dominate with his elite grappling since moving up to welterweight. Now, the UFC champion has caught the attention of wrestling legend Jordan Burroughs, who has challenged him to a wrestling showdown.
The 38-year-old American is widely considered one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers of all time. Makhachev previously backed himself to beat Burroughs, even calling the Olympic champion a “double-leg merchant” while speaking to Daniel Cormier.
Burroughs fired back after dominating Sean Brady at RAF 12 in August. However, Arman Tsarukyan isn’t impressed with the callout and has urged the wrestling legend to rethink his challenge to Makhachev.
Arman Tsarukyan Urges Jordan Burroughs to Challenge Elite Wrestlers Instead of MMA Fighters
Tsarukyan believes Burroughs should be challenging elite wrestlers who have mastered the sport rather than MMA fighters who train across multiple disciplines. He also suggested that facing Makhachev wouldn’t be the best way for the American to prove his wrestling credentials.
The Armenian named Abdulrashid Sadulaev, Kyle Dake, and Razambek Zhamalov as more suitable opponents for Burroughs. Speaking to Ariel Helwani in a recent interview, Tsarukyan explained why he wasn’t impressed with the callout.
He said, “He wants to go against Islam in RAF. Bro, why [does] he want to go to the fighter? He’s like the best wrestler ever. Call out Kyle Dake… Call out Razambek… He’s the last Olympic champion. If you’re like the best wrestler, go and like wrestle them. Why [are] you calling out like an easy-money fight for easy-money wrestling? Of course it’s easy.”
Tsarukyan added, “Freestyle wrestling is a different game. It’s like [me saying] I can be an interviewer. It’s not experience. You need time. You need a couple of years to get used to it. Same [with] freestyle wrestling.”
Burroughs certainly has the credentials to back up his reputation. The American won Olympic gold in the 74 kg division at the 2012 London Games and collected six World Championship gold medals across his career.
He also boasts three World Championship bronze medals, five Pan American Games titles, and five Pan American Championships titles. Burroughs even began his senior international career with a remarkable 69-match winning streak, the longest in U.S. history.
While Makhachev is undoubtedly an elite grappler, Tsarukyan’s point is that excelling in MMA wrestling isn’t the same as competing against a specialist of Burroughs’ caliber in freestyle wrestling. The Armenian believes the American should test himself against the best in his own sport rather than pursue a matchup with the UFC champion.