Watch: Islam Makhachev looks laser focused working the heavy bag at the Nurmagomedov School of MMA
Islam Makhachev seems to be working harder than ever to fulfill his dream of becoming a UFC world champion.
The lightweight contender recently shared a video of himself on Instagram. In the clip, he can be seen working on punching combinations on a heavy bag at the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov Martial Arts School in Makhachkala, Dagestan.
Makhachev looked very focused and in good flow with his combinations. It seems like he's determined to do whatever it takes to get the lightweight title wrapped around his waist this year.
Makhachev said initial preparations for his next fight are taking place back home in Russia, following which he'll travel to the United States for the camp. In the caption, he wrote:
"The initial stage of preparation takes place in the home club @nurmagomedov_mma_school. One of these days we will fly to warm lands." [Translated via Google]
Check out the clip of Makhachev's training below:
Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov Martial Arts School, named after the late father of Khabib Nurmagomedov, opened on December 2, 2019. Speaking at the opening ceremony, Khabib revealed why he chose to name the martial arts school after his father.
'The Eagle' said the gym was very close to his heart and he always wanted it to be named after his father, who was a popular martial arts coach in Dagestan.
“This is [the] most important thing for me... When [we began to] build this gym, we talked a lot about what name it’s going to be. I said... it’s going to be my father’s name.” [h/t MMA Dive]
Islam Makhachev is likely to fight for title if he manages to get past Beneil Dariush
Islam Makhachev is currently scheduled to take on Beneil Dariush in the main event of the February 26 UFC Fight Night.
Dariush is on an impressive seven-fight win streak and will be looking to earn a title shot by putting Makhachev away next month.
Islam Makhachev is currently one of the most dominant fighters in the lightweight division and is also seemingly one win away from earning a title shot. He is on an incredible nine-fight win streak inside the octagon. In his last outing, he picked up a dominant submission win against Dan Hooker at UFC 267.
With two top-ranked contenders with similar styles going to battle for a potential title shot, this is set to be an intriguing matchup.