Athletes
The Success Of Khabib Nurmagomedov And Islam Makhachev In Abu Dhabi
Look Back At The Incredible Performances By Khabib Nurmagomedov And Islam Makhachev In Abu Dhabi
There is no debating the incredible success that Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev have had in Abu Dhabi, with the two longtime training partners posting a combined 5-0 record there, and those wins have come in some of the most important fights of their respective careers.
We took a look at how the fights won by Nurmagomedov and Makhachev paved the way for Nurmagomedov to cement his legacy as one of the greatest of all-time and how Makhachev rose to the top of the lightweight division to take the throne.
UFC 242
At UFC 242, Nurmagomedov headlined the card opposite Dustin Poirier for the undisputed lightweight championship. It was Nurmagomedov’s first fight since submitting Conor McGregor and defending his title, and “The Eagle” looked brilliant. Nurmagomedov dominated Poirier en route to a third-round submission victory and improved his record to 28-0 with two title defenses.
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Makhachev made the walk to the Octagon just two fights before Nurmagomedov, defeating Davi Ramos by unanimous decision. Beating Ramos was validation for Makhachev, who sat at No. 15 in the lightweight rankings at the time. This win would spring Makhachev to a big fight with Drew Dober his next time out and further help fight fans understand that he was much more than Nurmagomedov’s understudy.
UFC 254
Nurmagomedov’s next fight after Poirier came against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254.
Nurmagomedov faced plenty of adversity coming into the fight with Gaethje, most notably the loss of his father Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. He responded by delivering a trademark performance against Gaethje, submitting his foe in the second round with a triangle choke.
MORE UFC 294: Makhachev Fight Week Interview | Fight By Fight Preview | UFC 294 Embedded
Immediately following the fight, Nurmagomedov honored his father, retiring at a perfect 29-0 and walking away as the undisputed lightweight champion.
“Today I want to say it was my last fight,” Nurmagomedov told Jon Anik in the Octagon. “In no way am I gonna come here without my father. After what happened with my father, when UFC called me about Justin, I talked with my mother for three days. She didn’t want me to go fight without my father, but I promised her it’s gonna be my last fight. And if I give my word, I have to follow this.”
UFC 254: Khabib Nurmagomedov Octagon Interview
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UFC 254: Khabib Nurmagomedov Octagon Interview
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It was a beautiful end to a Hall of Fame career and showcased just how great of a fighter and person Nurmagomedov is.
Nurmagomedov’s retirement opened the door for lightweight contenders that had fallen at his hands to step up and fight for the belt, but former featherweight Charles Oliveira had other ideas. Over the next few years, “Do Bronxs” beat Michael Chandler to capture the lightweight title, beat Dustin Poirier to defend the title, and Justin Gaethje to prevent Gaethje from winning the belt after Oliveira missed weight.
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While all that was happening, Makhachev continued his rise with Nurmagomedov by his side. He climbed the rankings and earned his shot to pick up where Nurmagomedov left off.
UFC 267
After his win over Ramos at UFC 242, Makhachev put together back-to-back dominant submission wins over Dober and Thiago Moises. Those significant victories lined him up to face former lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos in Abu Dhabi, but RDA was forced to pull out of the fight.
Lightweight contender Dan Hooker stepped in on short-notice, giving Makhachev a fight with a high-ranked opponent.
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Makhachev delivered in a big way, submitting Hooker with a kimura in under two-and-a-half minutes of the first round. Nurmagomedov was in Makhachev’s corner and gave him instructions mid-fight on how to lock up the kimura submission. It was the perfect moment – captured for all to see – that Makhachev’s talent is undeniable.
UFC 280
Makhachev followed up his win over Hooker with a quick win over Bobby Green. The submission win put Makhachev’s streak at 10 straight and earned him a shot at the vacant lightweight title. That bout would come opposite Charles Oliveira in Abu Dhabi.
There was plenty of excitement around the fight – especially following Oliveira’s weight miss and victory against Gaethje – but most importantly, people were interested to see how Makhachev would do against the top tier at lightweight.
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But once the fight started, it became clear who the best 155-pound fighter in the world was. Makhachev controlled the action throughout the first round, and in the second, he put Oliveira down with a left hand and submitted him with an arm triangle choke. It was a perfect performance and, just like that, Makhachev had completed the run to the top of the division with 11 straight victories and with Nurmagomedov lifting him up to take his rightful place at the top.
Makhachev Set To Compete In Abu Dhabi Again At UFC 294
Makhachev and Oliveira were scheduled to run it back in Abu Dhabi at UFC 294 on October 21, but a late injury to Oliveira forced the challenger to withdraw from the bout.
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski raised his hand and will be stepping up in an attempt to avenge his loss to Makhachev earlier this year at UFC 284.
UFC 294: Makhachev vs Volkanovski 2 took place live from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE on October 21, 2023. See the Final Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC Fight Pass!
