It is not easy living in the shadow of one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever, as Islam Makhachev did with Khabib Nurmagomedov. But what is even more difficult, perhaps, is stepping out of the shadow of one of the greatest to ever do it. And yet that is exactly what the UFC lightweight champion has managed to do. Looked at as a second-rate Khabib Nurmagomedov in his early career, the 32-year-old has come into his own. With his recent purple patch, some in the MMA world have started to wonder if he is, after all, better than ‘The Eagle’?

The GOAT contender Demetrious Johnson recently asserted that Makhachev was a “better version” of Nurmagomedov. And if Makhachev can defeat Dustin Poirier at their upcoming main event title bout at UFC 302 on Saturday, he would officially have beaten some of the greatest ever in one important aspect.

How can Islam Makhachev surpass Khabib Nurmagomedov & Georges St-Pierre?

Islam Makhachev, listed as the pound-for-pound king of the UFC, is the best fighter in the Las Vegas-based promotion. And this is also reflected in his record. Since he started fighting professionally, he has won all but one of his fights. Early in his career, he was handed the infamous shocking knockout at the hands of Adriano Martins, who had an otherwise insignificant MMA career. This remains, as of yet, the only blemish on the champ’s otherwise perfect record.

This loss, of course, robbed the Makhachkala native of a chance at going undefeated (one of the greatest honors, especially in the UFC) like his friend, mentor, and predecessor, Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, when one door closes, another opens, as they say. And Makhachev is on the cusp of another distinction. But what exactly is it? Since the Martins’ loss, the reigning champ has won all thirteen of his fights! While a fantastic achievement in itself, it has put him shoulder to shoulder with the titans of MMA.

With his thirteenth victory over Alexander Volkanovski last year, Makhachev has equaled Nurmagomedov, Jon Jones, and Georges St-Pierre‘s 13-fight win streak. The latter, with his legendary grappling skills and achievements, is Nurmagomedov’s favorite fighter. And if Makhachev wins on Saturday, it will make it 14 wins in a row for the Dagestani. This means he will leave behind all of these GOAT contenders as far as consecutive wins are concerned.

Further, it would help him equal Nurmagomedov’s three-title defenses of the UFC 155-pound title. One important distinction, however, is that Makhachev has not faced a fellow 155-pounder since he became champ. This is in contrast to ‘The Eagle’ stint as champion. All three of the latter’s title defenses came against the top guys in the stacked lightweight division. But that is not the only record the Dagestani champ will be one step closer to breaking at UFC 302.

Can the UFC champ break Anderson Silva and Kamaru Usman’s record?

If Makhachev can defeat ‘The Diamond’ at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, he will be one step closer to breaking another daunting record: being the all-time win-streak leader in UFC history. As of now, Anderson Silva, with his 16-fight win streak back in his superhuman and Matrix-like reflexes days, is at the top of the list; with Kamaru Usman a close second with his 15 consecutive wins.

The road for Makhachev will not be easy. However, with four more consecutive wins to go before he can dethrone Silva, it will be no walk in the park. The 155-pound division of the UFC is, in many people’s opinion, the most stacked and competitive division in all the UFC, which in turn is the most stacked and competitive MMA promotion in all the world. Which is why, if Makhachev can pull off wins in his next four fights, he will, without a doubt, carve his face on the Mount Rushmore of the UFC.

Do you think Islam Makhachev will enter his name in the record book at UFC 302? Drop your predictions in the comments below.