Islam Makhachev answers who would win in a fight: him or Khabib

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev talked about a comparison between him and former champ Khabib Nurmagomedov. He said that Khabib is unstoppable in the octagon.

Islam Makhachev is often branded as the new Khabib Nurmagomedov. He trained right under Khabib himself and shares a similar style, with both possessing a great skill set in Sambo and Wrestling.

Khabib retired in 2020 as a UFC lightweight champion and currently trains several Dagestani athletes.

With Khabib determined to not come out of retirement, there is almost zero chance we can see Khabib taking on Makhachev in the octagon. The pair may have sparred a lot, but competing professionally is a completely different thing.

During an interview with Wahed youtube channel, Makhachev was asked about a match with Khabib and how it would go down. The 31-year-old highlighted Khabib’s phenomenal ability and admitted that he would lose.

“This guy [Khabib Nurmagomedov] who showed me all the roads, how I have to train, how I have to live, what I have to do. And this guy is more professional, you know. This guy has a very big experience in this sport. Even right now, when he retired, he is still in a very good shape. He became big, but he is still in a good shape.” Makhachev said.

According to his own prediction from their countless sparring sessions, Makhachev admitted that Khabib would come out as the winner.

“We compete many times. We did, like, more than a thousand rounds in the gym. He is my hardest opponent, you know, always. We have crazy rounds. Nobody can stop Khabib in the cage.” Makhachev added.

Khabib Nurmagomedov amassed a 29-0 record and almost always dominated his opponents. He defended his title 3 times before he retired in 2020. Islam Makhachev is not so different when it comes to dominating his opponents. However, he has had one loss in 2015 against Adriano Martins where he got knocked out in the first round.