Dagestani fighters are renowned for their tight-knit bond, especially with the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev openly supporting the other budding fighters from their camp and pushing them to achieve greater heights in the UFC. Even after announcing his retirement both as a fighter and a coach, Nurmagomedov showed unwavering support to his best friend as he cornered the current UFC Lightweight Champion during his fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302.

Recently, Makhachev and ‘The Eagle’ also took to their respective social media handles to back Ikram Aliskerov in his fight against Robert Whittaker. There was another Dagestani professional who found support from the current champion years back but ended up being rejected by Dana White. However, now five years later, Makhachev’s friend finding his success seems to reflect White’s potential oversight.

Five years later, Islam Makhachev shows the UFC CEO a mirror

Islam Makhachev, riding high after his third successful title defense, recently shared a story on his Instagram account. It was a throwback to a previous post where he lauded a fellow Dagistani, named Ramazan Kuramagomedov, urging Dana White to give him a shot in the UFC. The accompanying caption, translated via Instagram, read, “Hey Dana, give this guy [Ramzan], a contract. He has perfect wrestling and he fought in striking to show a good fight and get a contract; you to respect it.”

However, Ramazan Kuramagomedov, after not getting enough chances in the UFC, moved to Bellator. Last night in Dublin, he dethroned their current welterweight champion, Jason Jackson, with a dominant 48-47 score. Thrilled by his friend’s victory, Islam Makhachev shared this good news writing, “After Ramazan’s victory over a good opponent in the B Contender Series, I wrote to Dana to give contracts, but alas, today he is a champion at Bellator. It’s called keep going. Ree.”

Interestingly, the UFC has attracted a lot of young wrestlers and fighters from Dagestan, including Ramazan Kuramagomedov. However, many fans may not be aware that Ramazan was once on the cusp of a UFC debut that ultimately never materialized.

When Ramazan Kuramagomedov nearly missed the UFC opportunity

Back in 2021, Ramazan Kuramagomedov was on the verge of making his UFC debut against Alex Oliveira in a welterweight preliminary bout at UFC Vegas 20. Oliveira was a well-respected fighter with experience against notable like Gilbert Burns. Despite only having two losses on his entire professional record, Kuramagomedov’s dream debut was dashed before the weigh-in. He unfortunately fell ill and was forced to withdraw from the fight.

After the UFC opportunity fell through, the Dagestani competed in various promotions, including UAE Warriors and EFC. He finally landed in Bellator in 2023, making his debut against Jaleel Willis at Bellator 297. There, he showcased his striking prowess with a TKO victory via a knee and punch combination. Kuramagomedov continued his impressive run with a submission win over Randall Wallace in his second Bellator fight (Bellator 301). Most recently, on June 22nd, 2024, he captured the Bellator Welterweight at Bellator Champions Series 3 with a dominant unanimous decision win over Jason Jackson.

Looking at the fighter’s record, Islam Makhachev’s past push for his inclusion in the UFC seems even more justified. Imagine the potential firecracker of a fight if Kuramagomedov, now a champion himself, was still in the UFC welterweight division! Could he challenge the current champ, Leon Edwards?

This recent development begs the question: Would you like to see more Dagestani fighters like Ramazan Kuramagomedov in the UFC alongside Islam Makahchev? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.