The Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov debate is probably one for the ages. Ever since Makhachev began his UFC career under the watchful eye of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov and then ‘The Eagle’ himself, the comparisons have been never-ending. With Makhachev now becoming the champion, the comparisons turned to competition, with many wondering that if the pair fought each other in their primes, who would end up winning?
Ali Abdelaziz, the long-time manager of Khabib Nurmagomedov as well as Islam Makhachev, recently weighed in on the debate. Abdelaziz sat down for an interview with Gilbert Burns for the ‘Show Me the Money’ podcast. He spoke about who would win in a fight between the two. Makhachev’s manager said,
“Khabib is Khabib man, he’s just a, not only in the cage, outside the cage, the guy changed the sport. Because of him, people know about Dagestan….”
Ali Abdelaziz did not answer the question directly. He went on a tangent about how Khabib Nurmagomedov changed the sport and indirectly stated he could beat Islam Makhahchev.
He also went on to talk about how ‘The Eagle’ opened the pathways for the Dagestani fighters to come and prosper in the UFC. If it weren’t for him, there would be no Makhachev, or any of the other Dagestani fighters.
In the same interview, Abdelaziz also enlightened fans on the fact that the former champ would never return to the octagon no matter what. However, he still trains MMA every day.
Khabib Nurmagomedov ‘smashes’ the likes of Islam Makhachev
Khabib Nurmagomedov was Islam Makhachev’s coach at one point, taking on the torch left by his father. However, he completely retired from the sport in 2023 and is now a mere spectator.
But according to Ali Abdelaziz, ‘The Eagle’ still trains MMA regularly alongside the likes of Makhachev. Reflecting on the same, Team Khabib’s manager stated,
“He’s done, but he still trains every day, he still smash everybody. He’s like 200 pounds. Khabib 200 pounds is a problem to grapple with.”
Ali Abdelaziz revealed that Khabib Nurmagomedov walks around at 200 pounds now. That’s the heaviest he has ever been and all the added weight gives him an edge in grappling, not that he ever needed it.
Unfortunately for the fans, despite the regular training, there is no scenario where ‘The Eagle’ returns to the octagon. Fans can now see his legacy carried forward by Islam Makhachev.
The dynamic between the pair is similar to that of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Bryant always stated that without ‘MJ’, there would be no ‘Mamba’. The same applies to Nurmagomedov and Makhachev.
