5 things that Islam Makhachev can do to surpass Khabib Nurmagomedov
Next weekend at UFC 302, Islam Makhachev will attempt to defend his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier. In all likelihood, it'll be his toughest test to date.
If Islam Makhachev can get past Dustin Poirier, he'll have three successful title defenses under his belt. So what can he do to surpass his mentor, former champ Khabib Nurmagomedov?
For some fans, whatever he does will never be enough. However, if he can pull off the following five feats, there'll definitely be an argument in his favor.
Here are five things Islam Makhachev can do to surpass Khabib Nurmagomedov.
#5 Islam Makhachev needs to break Khabib Nurmagomedov's number of successful lightweight title defenses
Khabib Nurmagomedov is undoubtedly one of the greatest champions in UFC history, and there's an argument that 'The Eagle' is the best lightweight of all time.
One area that he didn't do that well in, though, compared to the promotion's other legendary champions, is successful title defenses.
Largely because it took him some time to capture the lightweight crown, and also because he retired just two years after claiming it, Khabib's number of title defenses is relatively low.
'The Eagle' managed just three successful defenses. This puts him in line with the most successful lightweight titleholders - BJ Penn, Frankie Edgar and Benson Henderson - but miles behind the likes of Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre.
If Islam Makhachev can surpass this number, then, he'll technically be the most accomplished lightweight champion in UFC history, and will have surpassed his mentor in this area at least.
A win over Dustin Poirier next weekend to follow his two wins over Alexander Volkanovski would give Makhachev three successful defenses. One more, which is definitely possible, would push him past Khabib.
If he could then produce two or three more, then he'd be out on his own ahead of all of the other 155 pound legends, including 'The Eagle', in this area at least.
#4 Islam Makhachev needs to fight more frequently
Right now, the big knock on Islam Makhachev is that he simply doesn't fight frequently enough.
Makhachev won the lightweight title from Charles Oliveira in October 2022, but since then, he's only returned to the UFC twice, defeating Alexander Volkanovski in two title defenses.
The Dagestani's last fight came in October 2023, meaning that by the time he fights Dustin Poirier next weekend, he will have been out of action for nearly eight months.
Given that he hasn't had a serious injury to recover from, this is a bit disappointing.
Interestingly, the same knock was often aimed at Khabib Nurmagomedov. After winning the lightweight title in April 2018, he only fought another three times before his eventual retirement in October 2020.
Therefore, if Makhachev wishes to surpass the legacy of his mentor, one thing he could do would be to fight more frequently.
This would be risky, of course, as the Dagestani is only likely to fight top-class opponents as a UFC champion.
However, even if he were to aim to fight at least two times per year, he'd quickly be recognized as being a more active champion than his mentor. This would undoubtedly go some way in allowing him to step out of Khabib's huge shadow.
#3 Islam Makhachev needs to reach 30 career wins
Part of the appeal of Khabib Nurmagomedov was his unbeaten record. Even the true greats of MMA - names like Anderson Silva and Georges St-Pierre - had a couple of losses on their ledger, but this wasn't the case with 'The Eagle'.
When Khabib retired in October 2020, he did so with a 29-0 record, something essentially unheard of for any UFC star.
Islam Makhachev, unfortunately, cannot retire undefeated. His 2015 knockout loss to Adriano Martins cannot be erased from his record, even if it's ancient history at this point.
However, if Makhachev were to surpass Khabib's 29 victories, then it'd be arguable that he would move past his mentor in the overall pantheon at 155 pounds.
Right now, the reigning lightweight kingpin is 25-1, and if he can beat Dustin Poirier next month, he'd move onto 26 wins.
After this, another four wins at least isn't impossible for a fighter of his calibre, and a record of more than 30 victories with a single loss in return would definitely put Makhachev on equal footing with his mentor.
#2 Islam Makhachev should look to win the UFC welterweight title
Despite a number of fighters trying and failing, there have only been a handful of double champions in UFC history. To add to this, only four fighters - Amanda Nunes, Henry Cejudo, Conor McGregor and Daniel Cormier - have ever held two titles in different weight classes simultaneously.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, of course, never did become a double champion. This was primarily because his lightweight title reign didn't actually last that long, and he never fought at any weight other than 155 pounds during his octagon career.
If Islam Makhachev could become a double champ, then, he will have achieved something that his mentor was never able to do. If he could do this, it'd be hard not to suggest that he would've surpassed Khabib's legacy.
Is it a possibility? Almost certainly. The UFC has never been more open to champions looking to claim a second title, as we saw when featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski moved up to fight Makhachev for his 155 pound title twice last year.
More to the point, Makhachev has already claimed that he was offered a shot at welterweight titleholder Leon Edwards earlier this year, but the timing didn't work for him.
For this to be possible, of course, Makhachev would need to beat Dustin Poirier to hold onto his own crown next weekend. In an ideal world, he'd then defend his title one more time to break Khabib's number of defenses there.
Afterwards, though, a move to 170 pounds would definitely be a possibility, and realistically, the Dagestani could match well with Edwards, Belal Muhammad, or whoever else might hold the welterweight title.
If Makhachev could become the UFC's fifth simultaneous double champion, then, nobody could ever accuse him of living in the shadow of Khabib again.
#1 Islam Makhachev needs to get out at the right time
The important piece of Khabib Nurmagomedov's legacy that is often forgotten is the fact that 'The Eagle' got out at exactly the right time.
Sure, some fans might've criticised his decision to hang up his gloves in October 2020, but the truth is that it was the smart thing to do.
Too many fighters hang on for too long in the UFC, especially at the top. This usually ends badly for them, as they tend to lose their titles, fail in their attempts to get back to the top, and suffer numerous losses on their way down.
This kind of fate even befell great champions like Anderson Silva and Jose Aldo. Realistically, the only fighters to walk away at the peak of their powers - thus retaining their mystique - were Khabib and Georges St-Pierre.
With that in mind, Islam Makhachev should look to follow in his mentor's footsteps, and choose the right time to walk away.
Even if he were to surpass Khabib's number of title defenses, win a title at 170 pounds and go past 30 victories, if he were to hang on for too long, then it'd be hard to rank him above 'The Eagle' in the overall pantheon.
Choosing the right time to step down, of course, can often be a tricky, if not impossible decision. But if Makhachev can do all of those things without losing, he'd be smart to walk away at the very top.
If he can do this, then his position in history would be unquestionable - and that position would probably be above Khabib.