Watch: Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov train at the UFC PI ahead of Bobby Green bout at UFC Fight NightÂ
UFC lightweight Islam Makhachev has reunited with Khabib Nurmagomedov as the countdown to his next bout continues.
For years, we've seen athletes from AKA do incredible things in the UFC, with the era of Khabib Nurmagomedov arguably being the most dominant. From his initial rise to prominence all the way through to his title reign, "The Eagle" will go down in history as one of the greatest lightweights of all time.
Islam Makhachev, meanwhile, is still pushing for greatness at 155 pounds, with many believing it won't be too long before he's holding the gold.
He'll be back in action on Saturday night and in the days leading up to the fight, Khabib will be there by his side once again after returning to train with his long-term training partner.
Makhachev has had to deal with plenty of changes and obstacles, but this weekend, he'll attempt to take a big step forward in his career.
Who will Islam Makhachev take on at UFC Vegas 49?
The plan for the last few months was for Islam Makhachev to tackle Beneil Dariush in a big lightweight showdown. While it wasn't explicitly deemed to be a number one contender fight, Makhachev was expected to get the nod if he managed to win convincingly.
Unfortunately, an injury ruled Dariush out of the contest and forced the UFC to go in search of a replacement. The man who stepped up was Bobby Green, with the fan-favorite returning just weeks after an impressive triumph over Nasrat Haqparast.
Green heads into the fight as a sizable underdog with a catchweight of 160 pounds being added, largely due to the quick turnaround time.
Khabib has been forced to deal with his fair share of changes, including short notice opponents like Al Iaquinta - who Green incidentally finished in his latest fight aside from Haqparast.
UFC 272 is what most MMA fans have their eye on heading into the next couple of weeks, but before we round off the month of February, Makhachev will have his chance to remind the world that he's a top contender.