MMA Fantasy: What if Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev weren't teammates? Exploring who would win in battle of the Dagestanis?
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev are both products of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov's legendary coaching methods. The Dagestani fighters have dominated their opponents to an extent that nobody thought was possible at the elite level of MMA.
Khabib and Makhachev possess the uber-effective Dagestani-style wrestling, which is yet to be decoded. While most of their opponents have struggled to deal with the relentless fighting style, one can't help but wonder who would win if Khabib and Makhachev were not teammates and fought each other in a professional MMA fight.
A closer look at UFC statistics reveals the fundamental difference between their fighting styles. While Khabib was the more offensive-minded fighter, Makhachev stands out for his formidable defensive ability, absorbing less than 1.5 strikes per minute. He is also the less active fighter in terms of takedown attempts and number of strikes landed per minute.
However, Makhachev comes across as the more polished version of Khabib with a clean striking and grappling skill set. Therefore, skill for skill, the reigning lightweight champion might have gotten the better of Khabib if they fought inside the UFC Octagon.
Is Islam Makhachev's skill set enough to deal with the unwavering spirit of Khabib Nurmagomedov?
Ending the debate about a fantasy matchup between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev based on hard skills alone would be unfair. Khabib's success was the result of his physical as well as mental toughness. Let's look back at some situations that stand as shining examples of this.
Khabib's willpower and composure were pushed to the brink heading into the UFC 223 title fight in April 2018. Originally scheduled to fight his archrival, Tony Ferguson, the Dagestani fighter faced three opponent changes in the fight week and had to deal with the infamous dolly incident involving Conor McGregor.
While the world was turning upside down in one of the craziest fight weeks ever, Nurmagomedov was cutting massive weight. Despite the turmoil, he managed to pull off a dominant 50-43 unanimous decision win over a very game Al Iaquinta to become the undisputed UFC lightweight champion.
Similarly, Khabib Nurmagomedov displayed incredible confidence in his abilities when he stood and traded jabs with Conor McGregor in a fight he could not afford to lose. Be it fighting Justin Gaethje with a broken toe while dealing with the loss of his father or manhandling Darrel Horcher and Michael Johnson coming off a two-year layoff that threatened to end his career, 'The Eagle' hasn't kneeled to adversity.
Taking into account everything that we explored, the burning question is: does Islam Makhachev possess the mind and resolve as strong as Khabib Nurmagomedov? We don't have an answer to that question yet.
If he does, then Makhachev would certainly beat Khabib in an MMA fight. If he does not, Makhachev will find himself getting sucked into a hurricane and might become another name on the list of Khabib's victims.