'I can say with confidence...'- Islam Makhachev analyzes Khabib Nurmagomedov's prospects against UFC champion Sean Strickland
Islam Makhachev recently weighed in on Khabib Nurmagomedov hypothetically returning to action and challenging Sean Strickland for the middleweight title. Makhachev claims it'll be easy work for 'The Eagle' and heaped praise on his childhood friend's post-retirement training discipline.
Makhachev is set to face Alexander Volkanovski in an exciting 155-pound title rematch at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi this weekend. While Makhachev was initially booked to rematch Charles Oliveira, the Brazilian was forced to pull out of the title bout due to an injury picked up during training.
While Khabib Nurmagomedov won't be cornering Islam Makhachev for his rematch against Volkanovski, the reigning lightweight king had previously stated that 'The Eagle' will be helping him train against Oliveira. Despite Volkanovski stepping in on short notice, it's unlikely to have changed Nurmagomedov's training plans.
In a recent Instagram post, Makhachev uploaded a training video showing Nurmagomedov putting the work in on a treadmill. In the caption, Makhachev praised Nurmagomedov for never missing training despite retiring from the sport and wrote:
"Today I was asked in one of the interviews: "Can Khabib come back and beat Strickland in the championship fight?" ” I can say with confidence that he would easily do it. Almost three years have passed since Habib finished his career, but he never misses a workout. And I can say with confidence: If he wants, it won't be difficult for him."
Islam Makhachev reveals what it's like to train under Khabib Nurmagomedov in the gym
Khabib Nurmagomedov is undoubtedly among the greatest MMA fighters ever to step inside the octagon and is widely considered the UFC's greatest lightweight champion ever.
The Dagestani grappling savant boasts a perfect 29-0 record in his professional career and defended the lightweight title thrice. He retired after a statement second-round submission win against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 and transitioned into a coaching role for a while. He later announced that he'd be stepping away from MMA entirely to focus on his family life.
Given his incredible achievements in and out of the cage, it's unsurprising to hear that Khabib Nurmagomedov is a highly demanding coach. In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, Islam Makhachev said:
"When he became coach like two years, one year ago, he pressure us very hard, you know? We did drills, almost 10 rounds sparring. And after all this work, after 1.5 half hours, he says, ‘Okay, now five rounds grappling... Now that he become coach, he thinks he’s not tired because he corners everyone in the cage."
Catch Makhachev's comments below (15:50):