Islam Makhachev will leave no stone unturned. With Khabib Nurmagomedov on his side, he is ready to face his mentor’s previous opponent at UFC 302- Dustin Poirier. But this is going to be a tough fight for either of them. For Makhachev, his lightweight title is on the line, and for the American, his dream of becoming a UFC champion and wrapping up the story Nurmagomedov started is very tempting! As he said, defeating “Khabib’s pupil” would be the best way to avenge his UFC 242 loss. It is clear that Poirier is highly motivated by revenge. And that could be the reason behind Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s comeback at Islam Makhachev’s camp.

There is no doubt that the 35-year-old’s experience will be a boon for Makhachev. Now, Daniel Cormier and ‘The American Gangster’ Chael Sonnen weighed in on The Eagle’s presence in Makhachev’s camp. What are the Dagestanis up to?

Why is Khabib Nurmagomedov back? Daniel Cormier reveals!

In a recent episode of ‘Good Guy/Bad Guy’ on ESPN, Cormier and Sonnen discussed the reason behind Nurmagomedov’s return to the MMA world and coaching his team. “Another factor in this fight, Chael, and it would be dumb for Islam Makhachev not to use this is having having Khabib be the guy that is almost leading the training,” Cormier said. DC began by recalling how Nurmagomedov stepped away from coaching when his protege, Makhachev, won the belt. 

However, do you remember the 32-year-old’s fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284? People were shocked when they got to know Nurmagomedov wouldn’t be in Makhachev’s corner. It was perhaps one of the most important fights in his career. And now, Dustin Poirer will be yet another big name he needs to persist against. And with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s presence recently seen in Makhachev’s training, many speculations are flying.

The UFC commentator continued, “But he’s back now. And he’s in New Jersey. He’s helping him prepare for Dustin Poirier. Is this just the mentor, Chael, coming back to his rightful place, or do you think this speaks to the danger that is Dustin Poirier, and Khabib feels he needs to be more hands-on with his prized pupil?”

Well, Sonnen was surely surprised by DC’s take. He just casually thought that the former UFC lightweight champ’s schedule opened up. But Cormier’s take was something new for Sonnen. But let’s not be surprised by Cormier’s advanced insights because he is extremely close to Nurmagomedov and Makhachev. They share a great bond and so the former two-division champ would have a lot of inside intel.

Further in the discussion, DC shared, “You know, me seeing Khabib more involved, I like it, man. Because I believe that he has a role to fill in that region, because when his father passed, his dad was as important to these guys as anyone in their lives, and he led that region of young men to become great fighters. And Khabib kinda seamlessly filled that void right after.”

DC isn’t wrong in his assessment. After Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s demise, ‘The Eagle’ made the decision to not fight. However, he embodies the discipline of his father. So it isn’t surprising that many see him as the one to push Dagestani fighters further into the sport. But, on the other side, ‘The Diamond’ knows who he is against. He will not back down.

Dustin Poirier plans to leave Islam Makhachev unconscious!

One thing Islam Makhachev wants to do is pull a Khabib 2.0 on Poirier. Yes, he wants to submit the American. But the latter has plans of his own. In a recent conversation with Yahoo! Sports, he stated, “I’m going to knock him unconscious, and the ref is going to be pulling me off of him.”

What is his plan, though? “Don’t give up position,” Poirier shared. “That’s the record on repeat. Don’t go for it even if you think it’s getting tight or you have a good feel for it, don’t give up position. Especially for a guy like Islam. You give up position, you might be trying to get back to your feet for the rest of the round and losing the round, or putting yourself in deeper water and getting into a worse, dangerous position.”

Bold claims. However, let us not forget that ‘The Diamond’ has won 15 fights via KO/TKO, 8 through submissions, and 7 via decisions. Names like Justin Gaethje, Conor McGregor, and Eddie Alvarez were victims of KO/TKO from the Louisiana native. So the chances of him pulling off something big are not too slim. BUT! Makhachev’s wrestling could create a problem for him.

Though Poirier has used wrestling in his previous fights, will it be good enough against the Dagestani? Only time will tell. Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier will headline UFC 302 at the Prudential Center in Newark on June 1. Who are you rooting for?