While Islam Makhachev’s win at UFC 302 sparked off celebrations in the Dagestani camp, a freak incident threatened to ruin the jubilant mood. Once Makhachev was declared the winner against Poirier, the entire camp jumped onto the cage to congratulate him. However, Usman Nurmagomedov was soon escorted out by security for breaking the rules.
Usman Nurmagomedov is a champion for Bellator MMA. He is also ‘The Eagle’s’ cousin and a main sparring partner for Makhachev. Therefore, when Makhachev secured a win in the dying minutes of the final round he could not contain his emotions and jumped into the cage, only to get hauled out.
Head coach Javier Mendez recently sat down for an interview with ‘Submission Radio’ where he shed more light on the situation, saying
“Those guys went a bit crazy, jumped over the cage and the whole bit. They all love each other so much, when they win they all win. Usman was one of the main sparring partners for him. He (Usman) ran into the cage. He was actually supposed to go in after, he was invited to come into the cage after. But the way he did it, obviously the security got on him and they escorted him out.”
As soon as Usman jumped into the ring, he was pulled out by security. Since he was not officially part of the corner, Usman had no permission to be in the ring. Hence, the security at the site followed protocol and ejected him from the venue.
Needless to say, this did not blemish a fantastic win for Islam Makhachev, who is now aiming for a second belt.
What is next for Islam Makhachev after his win at UFC 302?
Following his win at UFC 302, Makhachev had only one target in mind, the welterweight strap. Makhachev stated that he wanted to cement his legacy in the sport and add a second belt to his resume. However, that will be easier said than done given the names that are involved in the title fight.
Usman Nurmagomedov got kicked out of the arena for jumping the cage to celebrate with Islam Makhachev pic.twitter.com/p7e8o5u8tl
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) June 2, 2024
Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad will fight it out for welterweight supremacy next month. If Muhammad wins, Makhachev will stay at 155 pounds as he has made it clear that he will not fight Muhammad. However, if Edwards retains his belt we might see the first champion vs champion clash since Adesanya vs Blachowicz.
