Islam Makhachev stands to assert unmatched dominance over Khabib Nurmagomedov and other lightweight greats by making history
Islam Makhachev is on the brink of making history in the UFC lightweight division as he prepares to defend his title for the fourth time at UFC 311.
Makhachev is set to rematch against the No. 1-ranked lightweight contender, Arman Tsarukyan, in the main event of UFC 311 on Jan. 18, 2025, at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
The reigning lightweight champion has defended his belt three times, equaling the record of his close friend and current coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov. The UFC Hall of Famer retired following his third title defense, which came against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in 2020, marking the end of his illustrious career.
In his third title defense, Makhachev faced former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 and secured victory in the final round, submitting Poirier with a D’arce choke.
While ‘The Eagle’ retired with an undefeated record of 29-0, Makhachev has experienced just one loss in his career. This defeat occurred early in his UFC journey in 2015 when he was knocked out in the first round by Adriano Martins.
Makhachev has already surpassed Nurmagomedov's record for the longest winning streak in the UFC lightweight division and currently holds an impressive 14-fight winning streak.
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev’s coach reveals that Makhachev is the only fighter who wins rounds against Nurmagomedov during their training sessions
Khabib Nurmagomedov has showcased exceptional grappling and wrestling skills throughout his career, losing only two rounds, which solidifies his status as arguably the greatest fighter in UFC history.
In an interview with Submission Radio, Nurmagomedov’s coach, Javier Mendez, said Islam Makhachev is the only fighter to have ever won rounds against ‘The Eagle’ during training sessions. Emphasizing Makhachev’s exceptional skills, Mendez said:
“In all of history since 2012 since Khabib has been sparring with me, in front of my eyes, there has been nobody that has taken a round from him. No one has ever won a sparring session against him, not a sparring session ever, except one man, Islam. He is the only one that has won rounds from Khabib. Never won a session, but he has won rounds. And I have never seen that.”
Check out Javier Mendez’s comments below (6:57):