Islam Makhachev’s Adaptability Is Lightyears Ahead of Khabib Nurmagomedov: Coach Javier Mendez Joins Better Fighter Debate

With every passing fight and every successful title defense, it becomes more and more evident that Islam Makhachev has genuinely surpassed Khabib Nurmagomedov. Or has he? Khabib’s undefeated 29-0 number is always going to push him up in the debate, especially since it has propelled him to be a part of the GOAT conversation. But Islam might finally be winning the argument, courtesy of their coach Javier Mendez weighing in.

According to the American Kickboxing Academy coach, this is not just about Makhachev’s wrestling and grappling anymore. It’s his ability to adapt that sets him apart.

“The thing about Islam is that we can change him minute by minute, round by round, second by second. He’s that good. He can change and adapt.”, he said, clearly pointing at his favorite student. 

Khabib’s style of fighting, though dominant, had always been heavily dependent on his ability to impress his will on his opponents. Fighters like Dustin Poirier have even commented on what made him special and claimed that it was his impeccable positioning and timing and a relentless effort to push for takedowns. There was simply no respite- all signs pointing towards someone who had perfected what he wanted to do.

This is where Islam is different. It’s not that he’s not as technically sound; he’s just far too well-rounded to stick to one particular style. He’s far more artistic in his approach to a fight and can and does adapt extremely well to situations. This means that while he opens himself up to more chances of losing than Khabib ever did, Makhachev can pull rabbits out of hats more often than not.

And how does he do that? By being open to ideas.

Explaining the difference between the two fighters, Mendez added, “Khabib is 50/50 with me; Islam has always been 100% on point. He’s a great student, not just a good student. He’s a great student. He listens to all his coaches.”

So, this brings us back to the question: Is he better than Khabib? The sad truth is that despite what fans may believe, the answer would simply be too contentious while Islam is still fighting. But at 32, on a 15-fight win streak and 4 title defenses to show for it, the UFC  lightweight champion is making a compelling case for himself.

And if he takes on these fighters as veteran Daniel Cormier suggests, by the end of his run at 155 lbs, he very well could have surpassed his legendary mentor.

DC asks UFC for a Makahchev open challenge

The lightweight division being stacked is not exactly news. In fact, almost everyone in the top 5 has been near the UFC gold at some point in their career, and yet they remain without having filtered their share of the shine.

This leaves the champion, Makhachev, in a precarious position. He still has to take a call on granting Ilia Topuria a title fight while contemplating a play for the 170 lbs belt should Belal Muhammad lose to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 later this year.

Then there’s Justin Gaethje, who just asked the UFC for his pending shot; there’s Arman Tsarukyan, who’s almost ‘been there, done that’; and Charles Oliveira, who has been hoping for a rematch for their UFC 280 doubt where Makhachev took the title from him.

In light of this, DC has come up with a solution. “Here’s what I would suggest, and I’m not a matchmaker.” he warned before starting. 

“Topuria vs. Islam Makhachev, yes book it. Gaethje vs. Tsarukyan, book it. Whoever wins, fights Makhachev. That’s it right there.”, the former UFC double champ said, making the decision easy for everyone.

Should Islam just run through the lot again, he will have had the distinct pleasure of being in the greatest of all time conversation himself. Should he win everything and then move in to 170 lbs and win again, he would have won the conversation- every conversation about the subject, that is.