Islam Makhachev has revealed what Khabib Nurmagomedov told him following his main event win at UFC 284.
After a lot of speculation regarding his status as an elite level fighter, Islam Makhachev proved himself in a big way last night. He defeated Alexander Volkanovski to successfully retain his UFC lightweight championship, becoming the #1 pound for pound fighter in the world in the process.
Alas, while he did get the win, it certainly wasn’t one-way traffic. Makhachev was forced to dig deep and that was especially true in the fifth round when he was dropped by ‘The Great’.
One man who was obviously watching closely was Khabib Nurmagomedov. He wasn’t there in person or in Islam’s corner, but ‘The Eagle’ made sure to keep up with the action from home.
In the post-fight press conference, Makhachev revealed what Khabib said to him about his performance.
Makhachev says after the fight, Khabib told him all of the things that he could have done better and Makhachev joked that if Khabib had been in his corner, he would have known to do those things.
— Aaron Bronsteter (@aaronbronsteter) February 12, 2023
“Makhachev says after the fight, Khabib told him all of the things that he could have done better and Makhachev joked that if Khabib had been in his corner, he would have known to do those things.”
Khabib’s big input
It’s been well documented that Khabib Nurmagomedov has opted to walk away from the mixed martial arts space. That includes his coaching duties, meaning he wasn’t there in person to assist Makhachev.
Even with that being the case, his friend got the job done. In fact, we’d argue he’s well on his way to actually surpassing Nurmagomedov in the long run.
As for Volkanovski, he’s quite clearly as tough as they come. He’ll be back, and he may even see Islam again down the road.
What do you think about the relationship between Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov? Do you believe Islam was the correct winner in his showdown with Alexander Volkanovski? Let us know in the comments, BJPENN Nation!
