Khabib Nurmagomedov is almost mythic in his dominance—both inside the Octagon and on the mats during training. But even the greatest have their kryptonite, and according to his coach Javier Mendez, Khabib’s comes in the form of his longtime teammate and protégé, Islam Makhachev.
In a throwback interview in 2022, Mendez dropped a bombshell: Islam is the only fighter who’s managed to win rounds against Khabib in all the years they’ve trained together.
“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. 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.”
View this post on Instagram
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, each session sharpening their skills and deepening their mutual respect.
Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, played a pivotal role in their development, instilling discipline and a relentless work ethic. This close-knit relationship has been instrumental in their individual successes, with each champion’s achievements reflecting their shared dedication and the strength of their partnership.
However, on a purely skill-based resume, Islam is simply far more well-rounded than Khabib ever was. If Khabib was dominant on the ground and maintained his unusual strength while he was at it, Islam more versatile, both on his back and his feet.
But even with that, he simply 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 his title thrice and laid out former champions like Alexander Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier.
He is been as dominant as Khabib was back in his day. But there’s been a little rumor going around in Dagestani media claiming he’s 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”.
The two will never fight inside the octagon anyway. Makhachev could have fought for the title anytime before 2020 but 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 fill in the gap and continue Dagestani dominance in the UFC. So it’s not really a surprise that he still doesn’t want to face Khabib inside the octagon.
