‘Islam Makhachev Is the Only Fighter to Defeat Khabib in Training Rounds’: When Javier Mendez Shared Rare Insight About ‘The Eagle’

Khabib Nurmagomedov is mythical in his dominance — both inside the Octagon and on the training mats. But even The Eagle has his kryptonite, Javier Mendez had revealed once. The coach was narrating how Islam Makhachev, Khabib’s longtime teammate and protégé, took some rounds off the legend in training.

Islam is the only fighter who’s managed to win rounds against Khabib in training.

“In all of history since 2012 since Khabib has been sparring with me, in front of my eyes, there has been nobody that has taken a round from him,” elaborated Menedez. “No one has ever won a sparring session against him, not a sparring session ever, except one man, Islam. He is the only one that has won rounds from Khabib. Never won a session, but he has won rounds. And I have never seen that.”

 

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Makhachev and Nurmagomedov share a bond that goes beyond typical training partners. They’re more like brothers. Growing up together in Dagestan, they’ve spent countless hours pushing each other in the gym. Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, had instilled discipline and a relentless work ethic in them.

With each session, their skills sharpened and their mutual respect deepened. This close-knit relationship has been instrumental in their success, the strength of their partnership evident in their victories.

As far as skill is concerned, Islam is simply far more well-rounded than Khabib ever was. If Khabib was dominant on the ground and asserted his unusual strength while he was at it, Islam is more versatile, both on his back and his feet.

Their bond is such that they would never square off against each other in competition. And Makhachev sure doesn’t want Khabib back in the octagon.

Islam’s hilarious reason for not wanting Khabib back

Makhachev has been dominating the lightweight division since October 2022, when he submitted Charles Oliveira in the second round at UFC 280 to claim the title. He has since defended the belt thrice, laying out former champions like Alexander Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier.

Islam has been as dominant as Khabib was back in his day. And there has been some rumor going around in Dagestani media that Makhachev has been trying to convince Khabib to get out of retirement. However, speaking to Russian outlet, Match TV, he laughed off the idea, saying, “No! Why do I need this? There’s no need for extra competition”. 

Makhachev could have fought for the lightweight title anytime before 2020. But he never jumped the gun when Khabib was at the helm of the division.

It was only when Khabib retired with an undefeated 29-0 record that Makhachev stepped up to continue the Dagestani dominance in the UFC.