Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev may not be biological brothers, but they share a brotherly bond between themselves. Here is everything you need to know about their relationship.
Nurmagomedov and Makhachev grew up together in Dagestan, Russia. As a result, they became good friends over the years.
The pair used to be trained by Nurmagomedov's late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. The 'Eagle' may be retired, but he still hits the gym along with Makhachev at the American Kickboxing Academy. They together usually train under coach Javier Mendez.
On several occasions, Nurmagomedov has financially helped Makhachev, such as paying for his training camps, paying the rents of houses in the USA, and more.
Makhachev has always looked up to Nurmagomedov to find his inspiration. In several of his interviews, Makhachev has publicly said that he wants to be like the 'Eagle'. He wants to achieve everything that Nurmagomedov has accomplished in his MMA career.
Despite having several elite contenders in the UFC lightweight division, Nurmagomedov still believes that Makhachev will defeat them all and become the UFC lightweight champion in 2022.