Following Islam Makhachev’s historic double-championship victory at UFC 322, where he dominated Jack Della Maddalena to claim the welterweight title, questions arose about his potential appearance at a White House event.
Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev’s coach and mentor, has made his position clear on the matter, prioritizing his fighter’s well-being and long-term career over ceremonial appearances.
In a recent interview, Khabib expressed his protective stance toward his protégé. The team’s focus remained squarely on the achievement itself rather than the publicity opportunities that followed.
Throughout the post-fight celebrations, Khabib emphasized the significance of what they had accomplished for Dagestan and their team, but showed little interest in extending the publicity tour beyond necessary obligations.
He said: “If you ask me personally, I wouldn’t want him to fight [at the White House]. Why? I just don’t.”
This comes after Islam Makhachev announced that he would like to compete in the White House Card after his UFC 322 title win. When asked when he would like to defend his title next, Makhachev yelled “Donald Trump, let’s go! Open the White House. I’m coming!” at the crowd, holding both belts over his shoulders.
After UFC 322, White clarified to the media that the event would focus on simply creating “the best card we can build,” which could very well feature Makachev.
“Yeah, it’s not America vs. The world. [It’s about] what’s the best card we can build. We are talking about him, possibly, GOAT talk here, depending on what he does in his next couple of fights. So, it’s a possibility,” White said during the post-fight press conference.
Khabib’s reluctance stems from a calculated approach to Makhachev’s career trajectory. Having just witnessed his fighter endure five rounds of championship-level competition in a new weight class, the former lightweight champion understands the toll such performances take on the body. The team discussed how Makhachev had to carefully pace himself throughout the fight, attempting multiple submissions and maintaining positional dominance for twenty-five minutes.
Khabib may not be on board with the idea, but if Makhachev does end up competing on a White House card, it will add another twist to an already historic run.
