Khabib Nurmagomedov Sends a 3-Word Message to Islam Makhachev’s Gym After Teasing a Return to Corner for Dustin Poirier Fight at UFC 302

Khabib Nurmagomedov stepped out of the MMA world almost three years ago. But it seems like ‘The Eagle’ still cherishes his memories. Nurmagomedov recently took to social media to send a message to his peeps back at the American Kickboxing Academy, including his friend and brother, former double champion, Daniel Cormier.

The rumors regarding Khabib Nurmagomedov possibly returning in a coaching capacity never seem to stop. Now that his protege Islam Makhachev is gearing up for a title defense against his former rival, Dustin Poirier, everybody’s been talking about the 29-0 legend corning the reigning champion at UFC 302. But Nurmagomedov did not address those rumors, instead, he shared a message about training at AKA.

Khabib Nurmagomedov remembers his training days

Recently, ‘DC’ shared a video on social media of him at the AKA, watching over some fighters who were engaged in a training session. Nurmagomedov was hit with Nostalgia when he came across Cormier’s video and shared a message with his former teammate. “Miss my home [AKA].” wrote Khabib Nurmagomedov on his Instagram handle.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is one of many world-class MMA exports from the American Kickboxing Academy. The San Jose-based gym is home to some of the most notable UFC world champions. The list includes the likes of Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, and, of course, Nurmagomedov’s protégé and the reigning 155-pound kingpin, Islam Makhachev.

However, his missing his gym doesn’t exactly mean that we will see him back in action in the foreseeable future. The many rumors of him possibly returning to action in the past few months were all dismissed by ‘The Eagle’. But is there an ounce of truth to the speculations about Nurmagomedov cornering his protégé on June 1? Let’s explore that possibility.

Is ‘The Eagle’ returning to corner Islam Makhachev?

Islam Makhachev’s biggest career fight at UFC 302 will also be his first title defense against an actual 155-pound fighter who’s cemented his legacy in the division. His opponent Dustin Poirier has failed to become the division’s undisputed king in the past and has only had his fingers on the interim belt once.

Meanwhile, his mentor has already fought ‘The Diamond’ during his UFC stint and he seems to be sharing the knowledge about Poirier’s fighting tactics back home in Dagestan.

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev both shared some snaps of instances of them putting in the work and hitting the mats in the gym at Kislovodsk, Russia. The latter even acknowledged that all of his Dagestani teammates started working with the “head coach, ” referring to his mentor.

‘The Eagle’ seems to have his full trust in Makhachev that he will score a finish against the seasoned Dustin Poirier on June 1. However, the speculation of him cornering his protégé seems to be just speculation since we are still in the loop about whether he will be at UFC 302 or not.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, much like Conor McGregor, is such a star in the MMA world that fans just want to see him more. We will have to wait and see if he really surprises the fans and makes an unexpected return at UFC 302. Also, it will be a chance for Islam Makhachev to zip up his critics and continue his winning ways to make an even bigger name and impact than his mentor.