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What Is Islam Makhachev’s Relationship With Khabib Nurmagomedov?

Published 10/28/2021, 10:56 AM EDT

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Islam Makhachev is currently one of the most promising fighters in the lightweight division. The fighter is on a winning streak right now and seems to be unstoppable in his stride to the top of the division.

The Dagestani fighter currently holds a fight record of 20 wins and 1 loss to his name as of October 2021. Prior to his MMA career, Islam Makhachev was a Combat Sambo World Champion. He is currently ranked fifth in the UFC lightweight division.

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Islam Makhachev has been a longtime teammate and friend of UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov. Islam has stated numerous times to the media that he aspires to be like his friend Nurmagomedov, and the two have a great deal of respect for one another.

‘The Eagle’ and Islam have always been present for each other’s fights to support each other in their corner. After his retirement from the sport last year, Khabib has taken on the role of a trainer for Makhachev.

Is Islam Makhachev Khabib Nurmagomedov’s brother?

Despite their similar appearances, the two fighters are not biologically related. Islam and Khabib grew up together in the republic of Dagestan. Both fighters began their careers together under the guidance of Khabib’s late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

The two fighters share a special bond and have frequently expressed their support for one another to the media. It is said that Makhachev intentionally did not increase his weight above the 155-pound limit because he did not want to fight against Nurmagomedov.

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The two fighters have an extremely identical style of fighting in the octagon. As a result, they are frequently compared to one another.

When Khabib retired from the UFC last year, he stated that Islam would take his place in the division next. It is not wrong to predict that Islam will thrive in the lightweight division under Khabib’s leadership. According to Khabib, Islam is among the top ten pound-for-pound fighters.

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Islam has also frequently praised Nurmagomedov. During a press conference, he stated, “I wanna be like Khabib, you know. He is great man, you know. He’s a champion, he have lot of money now, lot of everything, but he’s still humble guy.” Despite the fact that they are not biological brothers, they share a bond similar to that of biological brothers.

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Written by:

Pranit Punjabi

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Pranit Punjabi is a UFC author at EssentiallySports. A third-year psychology major, this Khabib Nurmagomedov fan merged his interest in psychology with his deep passion for MMA and was intrigued by this new angle to help him get closer to the action. Pranit aims to look through the violence and chaos, into what makes MMA truly beautiful, the deep and rich psychological aspect of the game.
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