Khabib Nurmagomedov pens inspiring statement after Islam Makhachev defends lightweight throne against Alexander Volkanovski
In the wake of his grueling lightweight title defense, Islam Makhachev has received some inspirational words from his lifelong training partner, Khabib Nurmagomedov, who has labeled the 155-pound champion "the best."
'The Eagle' has been a pivotal part of the pound-for-pound king's meteoric rise to success and has often been in his friend's corner as he bulldozed through the rankings. While it didn't affect the outcome, the Hall-of-Famer didn't attend UFC 284 and wasn't by the fighter's side for the first defense of his title.
In a heartfelt post on social media, Khabib Nurmagomedov expressed his appreciation for Islam Makhachev following his five-round war against Alexander Volkanovski.
"Simply the best. Proved it in a hard, competitive fight against the best active fighter on the planet. There is always something to work on, but this story will remain for a long time in this sport. Just have a flashback on your memory of who topped the best regardless of weight category from Eurasia in the history of MMA, there were only a couple of fighters and Islam was already on that list. You are history, brother."
Although Makhachev was victorious on all three of the judges' scorecards, respect must go to Volkanovski for making the fight as competitive as it was, with most viewers not knowing who would get the nod as the bout came to an end.
Despite failing to capture double champ status, 'The Great' is still the featherweight titleholder and will now be tasked with defending his 145-pound throne against Yair Rodriguez, the man who captured the interim strap last time out.
Check out Khabib Nurmagomedov's heartwarming speech to Islam Makhachev in the post below.
Who's next for Islam Makhachev?
Islam Makhachev managed to successfully extend his reign as lightweight champion with his win over Alexander Volkanovski, but all eyes are on who his second defense will be against.
As the lightweight division remains wide open, there are a number of potential opponents lining up to face the Russian next, with the spotlight firmly on the TUF 31 coaches and the upcoming clash between Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush.
Airing on ESPN this time around, The Ultimate Fighter will have the world watching when the controversial Conor McGregor squares off against Michael Chandler, with tensions likely to flair between the two bold personalities.