Imagine Khabib Nurmagomedov in your training camp. It’s going to be a difficult one. That’s how Islam Mak͏͏hachev͏ feels despite training with the former UFC lightweight champion for a long time. There is no doubt he is carrying Nurmagomedov’s legacy forward by winning the undisputed lightweight championship and defending it not once but twice, but in the face of a third title fight, motive drives his opponent that Makhachev cannot be casual about. UFC 302 against Dustin Poirie͏r—That’s where the American is looking to finish the story that Nurmagomedov started.

Makhachev is seen as a threat, yes. But nothing motivates a fighter more than good old revenge. ‘The Diamond’ is ready to defeat “the pound-for-pound No. 1 guy” but “Khabib’s pupil” more so. Back in 2019, Nurmagomedov fought Poirie͏r in UFC 242’s main event and scored an iconic victory via submission.

So, who better than the former champion to train Makhachev? It seems ‘The Eagle’ is ready to push his teammate to his limits. At least, that’s what the recent update suggests.

Khabib Nurmagomedov puts Islam Makhachev and others in a training hell!

In a video uploaded on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s YouTube channel, Islam Makhachev presented a detailed insight into his training session stating, “The training camp went well. Everyone gave their all. We were there for more than two weeks. Khabib came to the camp slightly disrupting the start and, without any acclimatization, we immediately began training.”

But Nurmagomedov made a hilarious statement immediately after Makhachev. “I was pushing them. I just came back for the next five days. For me, it’s gonna be fun days; for them, it’s gonna be very hard days,” remarked the former UFC champ. Amidst swirling rumors of an MMA comeback and financial woes with the Russian government, Khabib Nurmagomedov’s sudden activity has got his fans raving, and we might certainly witness that transform into support for Makhachev.

Nurmagomedov left coaching after Islam Makhachev won the belt. He stated that he wanted to spend time with his family and that it would be better for them to continue their journey without him. However, he is still sporadically present and helps his teammates. The 35-year-old considers Islam Makhachev his best protégé and most definitely expects him to defeat his former opponent in the octagon during UFC 302 and successfully defend his title.

Interesting fact: Dustin Poirier isn’t the first common opponent for Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. Remember Gleison Tibau? Nurmagomedov fought him at UFC 148 (2012), whereas Makhachev faced him at UFC 220 (2018). Both the Dagestanis tasted victory against the Brazilian. While ‘The Eagle’ won via a unanimous decision, his protégé won via KO (punches).

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov laid the foundation of the Dagestani training camp and many fighters have been making some significant noise in the sport. What makes them so special? Well, it is their rigorous training camp and discipline. There’s a set of rules the fighters under Team Khabib have to follow while being disciplined and focused, as explained by Joe Rogan in one of the recent episodes of his podcast.

And it seems like the team is leaving no stones unturned, as their striking coach has hinted at ‘unseen striking abilities’ to look out for from Makhachev. Magomedgadzhi Bagandov revealed, “Everyone talks about his wrestling, but I think he hasn’t fully revealed his skills in striking. This is actually a good thing, as he will surprise many. Even in interviews, many people analyze him. In my opinion, as a striking coach, he hasn’t fully revealed his potential in this area. Yeah, he is a versatile fighter and I’m looking forward to the fight where he will show this aspect of his abilities.” 

Meanwhile, it seems like Makhachev is all set to follow in the footsteps of his mentor and dear friend as he is planning to defeat Dustin Poirier via submission; the same way Nurmagomedov achieved victory over the now 35-year-old in 2019. What did Makhachev reveal?

Islam Makhachev wants to do it Khabib Nurmagomedov’s way!

It is no surprise to the fight fans that often build-ups to fights are far more intense than the fights themselves! We could fill pages of such instances, be it Leon Edwards vs. Colby Covington, or trash talk and bold claims (of course no one does that quite like Conor McGregor), that have become an inseparable part of the fight biz. Now, if you are the number one pound-for-pound fighter, as well as the lightweight champion, you could make the wildest of claims, and the community in all possibility will side by you. And for the Dagestani protégé, he has claimed that he already knows what will go down on June 1st at UFC 302.

Islam Makhachev slated against Dustin Poirier, believes that he would be defeating ‘Diamond’ the same way ‘The Eagle’ scored a win in 2019- UFC 242. In a conversation with the media, Makhachev reckoned, “We will start and I will try to take him down. He will try to get me in a guillotine. I will defend the guillotine. I will give him a couple of punches. He will give his back. Then I will finish.”

However, his statement didn’t go unnoticed by the former interim lightweight champ. Poirier responded to Makhachev’s warning with, “I’m gonna knock him unconscious and the ref’s gonna be pulling me off of him.” Makhachev, indirectly calling Poirier predictable, did not sit well with the American fighter. But things don’t end here. The latter has a lot on his mind. Hear it from the lightweight himself.

“I understand the challenge against me, but man, what a way to finish a story! You can’t write a book or a movie and if I pull this off and you write a book or a movie, and make people think it’s real. Like a real-life Rocky story. But I am that guy to do it,” he stated in a conversation with Ariel Helwani.

What makes it all the more intriguing and electric is that Poirier has never lost any of the fights he fought in June of any year. Superstition or just sheer luck, now the question remains, will it be Poirier’s victory month? Or will it be a successful defense by the fan-favored Islam Makhachev? Drop your predictions in the comments below.