Khabib Nurmagomedov Unearths “Serious Archive” With Unrecognizable Islam Makhachev & Russian MMA Legend

Khabib Nurmagomedov boats a unique record of retiring undefeated. The Russian grappling phenom dominated his opponents like no one else during his MMA run. In fact, ‘The Eagle’ barely even lost rounds to opponents during his MMA career. Nurmagomedov has a stellar resume that includes the prestigious UFC lightweight title. The 29-0 martial artist retired undefeated and as a champion and later vacated the title. Furthermore, he coached his friend and teammate Islam Makhachev into winning the same title last year. However, Nurmagomedov and Makhachev’s history of winning titles together goes back as far as 2009.

A recent Instagram post shared by former WSOF and Brave CF star Marat Magomedov shows Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev with a UFC veteran during their early days of competition.

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev in 2009

In the picture shared by Magomedov, we see him with Nurmagomedov, Makhachev, and UFC veteran Alexey Oleynik. The three of them are posing with Oleynik with their trophies, medals, and certificates from the 2009 Russian Combat Sambo Championship held in St. Petersburg. Nurmagomedov liked the post and shared the same to his Instagram story.

In the caption, Magomedov wrote, “Serious archive found. 2009 Russian martial sambo championship, St. Petersburg! Life just flies by like a moment! Then we came first !”

The rare photo is proof of all that “The Eagle” achieved during his early days of competition. There are also rare videos of Khabib Nurmagomedov dismantling his opponents in Sambo competitions available on the internet.

Read More– Khabib Nurmagomedov Finally Meets His Childhood Hero

However, 2009 was a long time ago. The 34-year-old Eagle has now returned to his nest for some much-needed family time. Nevertheless, he has his eye on Islam Makhachev’s upcoming title defense at UFC 284.

The Eagle’s prediction for UFC 284

Islam Makhachev will place his title on the line against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. The 31-year-old wants to dethrone Volkanovski from the pound-for-pound #1 spot. The stakes could not be higher for the Dagestani, as his title and reputation are all on the line.

However, Nurmagomedov is confident in his teammate’s ability to pull off the win. In fact, he openly stated that Makhachev’s wrestling would prove too much for the featherweight champion, who is himself a tough puzzle to crack.

Watch This Story– End of Khabib’s takeover in MMA

Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski will go down in Perth on February 11. Who are you picking to get the win at UFC 284? And what are your thoughts on the rare photo of the young Dagestanis? Let us know in the comments below.