Are Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev biological brothers?
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev are long-time training partners who have been training together since childhood under the tutelage of Khabib's father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. The duo are foremost representatives of the Dagestani-style of grappling in the UFC.
While they do share a close personal relationship and a brotherly bond, Khabib and Makhachev are not biological brothers. Growing up together in Dagestan, Russia, Makhachev and Khabib became good friends.
Makhachev was always a permanent fixture in Khabib's corner for most of his octagon outings. After Khabib's retirement, Makhachev became heir apparent to his dominance and ascended to the top of the lightweight division.
'The Eagle', who stepped away from all the roles in combat sports in 2023, returned to corner his teammate for the UFC 294 title fight rematch against Alexander Volkanovski.
During Khabib's title reign, Makhachev intentionally didn't make the push towards the top of the 155lb division because he wanted to avoid fighting his friend. Khabib's late father Abdulmanap also wanted Makhachev to claim the lightweight throne once his son was done fighting.
In an interview with RT Sport, VP of International Talent at Dominance MMA Management, Rizvan Magomedov, talked about the bond between Nurmagomedov and Makhachev.
“Well, I’m going to disclose some secrets to you now. The UFC used to not give Islam enough attention because they knew, if he had made it to the title shot, he wouldn’t fight Khabib. What if he eliminated all the top contenders and then refused to fight Khabib? They are not just friends, they are brothers. They have been training together for their entire lives. There’s no title in the world that can split them apart.” said Magomedov.
Islam Makhachev always wanted to follow Khabib Nurmagomedov's footsteps and "be like him"
Due to notable similarities in their fighting styles, Islam Makhachev was often compared to Khabib Nurmagomedov while coming up.
Following his win over Thiago Moises at the UFC Vegas 31 in July 2021, Makhachev was asked if he felt the pressure of expectations when such comparisons were made. Makhachev said:
"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."
Catch Islam Makhachev's statement below (5:52):
Fast forward to 2024, Makhachev is slowly inching towards creating his own legacy as one of the greatest lightweights in history, if not 'the greatest'.
Makhachev will attempt the third defense of his lightweight title against former interim champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 on June 1. A potential win over Poirier will further his legacy in the sport as 'The Diamond' is considered among the greatest lightweight fighters of all time.