Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Cryptic Message Fuels Return Rumors for Islam Makhachev Corner at UFC 302 Against Dustin Poirier

Khabib Nurmagomedov has triggered the rumor machines once again with a hint at his return to the land of mixed martial arts. With Islam Makhachev set to defend his championship title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302, the champ necessitates the presence of ‘The Eagle’ by his corner to go for the win.

Having fought and defeated ‘The Diamond’ during his time as a fighter in the UFC, Nurmagomedov’s experience would, in fact, come in handy for Makhachev. Adding fuel to the rumors, ‘The Eagle’ recently took to Instagram and shared a message, while preparing Makhachev for the fight.

Khabib Nurmagomedov to return for Makhachev’s corner

The 35-year-old former UFC fighter recently shared a picture on Instagram, wherein he can be seen tightening the lightweight champ’s gloves during training. He captioned the post saying, “33 days before the fight. Lets go my Brother [Islam Makhachev].” Makhachev responded with a hugging emoji. However, this was not the full message.

Nurmagomedov also shared the post on his IG story. There, he gave out a cryptic message that read, “There was a time when such peaks in sports seemed fantastic. Faith. Patience. Work” when translated. The former lightweight champion has teased his return a couple of times now. Speculations have been made that Nurmagomedov simply misses the action and thrill of fighting in the Octagon. Hence, he was planning a comeback, as Makhachev’s corner.

Once before, the former UFC fighter shared yet another IG story, where he captioned, “The younger one is completely focused and preparing for battle.” Needless to say, Nurmagomedov is present throughout Makhachev’s journey in the training camp at Kislovodsk, Russia. Without a doubt, if Nurmagomedov lands in Makhachev’s corner, Poirier would have an even tougher battle. 

Javier Mendez also hinted at Nurmagomedov’s return

Javier Mendez previously shared a post on IG, where a martial artist was leaning against the cage while training. The post received quite some attention from the fight fans. But it was the caption that hinted at ‘The Eagle’s return. 

The head coach of American Kickboxing Academy wrote, “I wonder if ‘the Eagle’ [Khabib Nurmagomedov] misses this feeling? I say he does, but once your time is up like my time when I retired. The best is just remember your memories and cherish your accomplishments because time always wins and we must move on to the next challenge in our journey of life On to the next [Eagle] and coach journeys.”

Another post on Instagram showed Nurmagomedov perched on top of a motorcycle, along with Makhachev. The caption read, “Road to New Jersey #ufc302.” This certainly led the fans to begin wondering if ‘The Eagle’ would return to coach the Dagestani team, after four years of retirement. The answer, although still hazy, points to Nurmagomedov guiding Makhachev to another flawless victory.

Do you think Nurmagomedov would stand in Makhachev’s corner during his fight against Poirier? Let us know in the comments down below.