What’s a guaranteed way to win a million dollars while gambling? Bet on a Dagestani in the UFC to win on the day. That’s how easy it has become, a testament to the dominance of the Russian mountains. But Sergei Melikov, Head of the Republic of Dagestan knows this all started with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
In many ways, Nurmagomedov was a pioneer for the sport not just for the region but for the entire country. While there have been successful Russian mixed martial artists in the past, no one has achieved the levels of fame and success as Khabib Nurmagomedov, closely followed by Islam Makhachev.
Following his win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, Islam Makhachev received a hero’s welcome back home. He was greeted by a number of people cheering him on at the airport and received a lot of media coverage.
The festivities have not slowed down for Makhachev who was invited to have a meeting with the Head of the Republic of Dagestan. Sergei Melikov went on to praise Makhachev for his achievements in the sport saying,
“A lot of congratulations from the whole of Dagestan and the Dagestani people. I truly believe we should not hold back from giving you the biggest praise. This is another great victory of yours. It’s very important for us to keep winning in sports that have already become national for our people.
Melikov also went on to praise Khabib for his role in beginning the Dagestani dynasty in MMA.
“The things Khabib achieved inside the octagon in his time as well as you have been doing yourself, they are truly signalling that we have conquered the octagon. The Dagestanis rule.”
Now, despite the increased attention and admiration from his people, Makhachev seems focused on his upcoming goals in the UFC i.e., defending his title and then moving on to a higher weight division to conquer it.
The UFC lightweight champion has provided a timeline for return and also shed light on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s involvement in future camps.
Islam Makhachev aiming for a return before the end of the year
While speaking to the media, Makhachev stated that he wanted to fight once more this year. The champion confirmed that he would like to return before the end of the year.
However, he did not take any names or mention any locations that he would potentially be interested in. The champion also shed light on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s involvement moving forward in his training camps.
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Makhachev stated that ‘The Eagle’ had been absent from previous camps but returned for his one as he felt this would be an important fight.
The 34-year-old confirmed that Nurmagomedov will not be involved in all camps moving forward but he will make sure to attend fight camps for the really important fights.
The champion has also talked about his ambition to move to the 170 lbs division and become a title holder there. And while welterweight champion Leon Edwards has welcomed him, he was also quick to remind Islam that both of them had quite a lot of competition to beat in their own divisions before moving on.
