After Making Sure He Won’t Be There at the Corner at UFC 294, Khabib Nurmagomedov Sends a 4-Word-Message For Islam Makhachev

Khabib Nurmagomedov is more than ready for Makhachev Vs. Oliviera 2. When they were young, Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov both trained under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who was also Khabib’s father. Now that the 34-year-old has retired, it’s time for Makhachev to make his footing firm in the lightweight division.

Nobody has been in Islam’s corner like his dear friend who quit the sport after his father’s passing. The 31-year-old would soon go on to defeat Charles Oliveira by making him tap out in the first five minutes. This was back in October at UFC 280 when Makhachev effectively claimed the championship for himself. Now, they are scheduled for a rematch in Abu Dhabi and it appears that Khabib is as prepared as the champion himself.

Khabib shows off Makhachev’s training on Instagram

‘The Eagle’ remains a fan favorite, even in retirement. Many fans admire Khabib’s unwavering spirit of brotherhood and loyalty to Islam. Recently, the current lightweight champion shared a video of him training relentlessly for his rematch against Oliviera. Fans could see Makhachev running over hills, sparring in a natural habitat and on the mat, grappling, striking, and so much more. Sharing this video to his stories, Khabib wrote:

“21 October and still🤜” 

It might not seem like much, but the effort Islam is putting in is visible in the beads of sweat that run down his face in the reel. This may be a moment of reclamation for him. He could take the belt for himself by all means, but will he be able to retain it? The fight will be interesting since Khabib has gone on record to say that he won’t be in Islam’s corner this time around to support him. The Hall of Famer wants to part ways with MMA for good to live a family life. So this time, for Islam, it’s his fight and his fight alone.

But this doesn’t stop Khabib from supporting him with his advice. He also had words for him after the Dagestani fighter successfully defended his title against Alexander Volkanovski.

“93 days until the fight. You can’t take your foot off the gas, just go ahead, Brother.” Khabib wrote on his Instagram story once Makhachev Vs. Oliviera 2 was officially announced.

UFC 294: Makhachev’s ascent and Oliviera’s determination

The main event is all set and fans are expecting this one to be explosive. Oliviera’s champion title came undone when he couldn’t make weight for his title defense against Justin Gaethje. This opportunity allowed Makhachev to stake his claim to the title, and he certainly seized it. Fans witnessed the unmistakable Dagestani fighting spirit in him as he secured Oliviera in an arm triangle choke. Some even drew parallels, seeing shades of Khabib’s dominance in his performance.

Also Read: “Won’t Be Any Different From the First One…”: Fans Back Islam Makhachev Up as He Sends a Message to Charles Oliveira Ahead of Their UFC 294 Rematch

‘Do Bronx’ on the other hand, has maintained that he wasn’t quite himself when he first fought against Makhachev and that this time he’s going to show everyone what he’s really made of. He defeated Beneil Dariush just to get his shot at the title again. Both the fighters look in shape and ready to go at it once again at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The fight will kick off as the main event on October 21 at UFC 294. The question that remains is, will Makhachev still be in beast mode without ‘The Eagle’ rooting for him in his corner?

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