After his retirement, Khabib Nurmagomedov passed the torch to his friend, Islam Makhachev, who is dominating the MMA world. Consequently, many fans ponder how a bout between Makhachev and Nurmagomedov would unfold and who would win. In an interview held in 2022, the current LW champion had addressed these questions in the second episode of ‘The Muslim Money Experts’. Makhachev asserted that no one is close to Nurmagomedov.
In October 2022, just before securing the belt at UFC 280 against Charles Oliveira, Makhachev appeared on the Wahed Podcast where he had a conversation with Supersaf. Given the close friendship between Nurmagomedov and Makhachev, many were curious about how a hypothetical fight would be. When pressed on the matter, Makhachev stated that nobody can stop ‘The Eagle’ from hunting inside the cage. He stated,
“This guy who showed me you know all the roads, how I have to train, how I have to live and what I have to do. And this guy is more professional, you know, and has a very big experience in this sport. Even right now, when he retires he still is in very good shape. But now he has become big. We compete many times. We did like more than a thousand rounds in the gym. He’s my hardest opponent, always. Nobody can stop Khabib in the cage, not even me.”
Every fight fan is aware that Nurmagomedov and Makhachev share an unbreakable bond, akin to brothers since childhood. Not only that, even after his retirement, Nurmagomedov serves as a coach to Makhachev, and they have trained together over a thousand times.
Despite retirement, as per Makhachev, Khabib’s flair remains undiminished, and he continues to be unstoppable inside the cage. So in a hypothetical fight, Makhachev thinks Nurmagomedov has the upper hand. Indeed, in the sports of blood, Nurmagomedov stood as a man who never bled, conquering every opponent. This indisputably affirms Nurmagomedov’s status as the toughest ever in the MMA world.
Islam Makhachev Aims to Outdo Khabib Nurmagomedov
Since childhood, both have known each other well, with Makhachev being trained under Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Khabib’s father foresaw that after ‘The Eagle,’ Makhachev would be the next champion and carry on the legacy. The prediction is coming true today and now he wants to do something that even Nurmagomedov failed to do.
Talking to ESPN, the current UFC champion shared his plans for the future. He expressed his desire to become a two-division UFC champion, a feat that even ‘The Eagle’ has not achieved. He stated,
“I don’t know what the UFC has planned, but my dream fight is for the second belt, I gave a chance to that guy, so they have to give me a chance, too. I gave a chance to a guy from another division to come to my weight and to try to take this belt, and he lost. I want my chance, too.”
Makhachev is a dominant fighter just like Nurmagomedov, but will he surpass his coach is the question that will be answered in the future. Now fans are waiting to see him fight once again. As per reports, it might be against Justin Gaethje but not confirmed.
