"He lived five minutes away from me" - Islam Makhachev details growing up with Khabib Nurmagomedov

Hailing from the hills of Dagestan, Islam Makhachev recognized his flair for the fight game at age 15. Fast forward 15 years and the 29-year-old will headline a card organized by the world’s leading MMA promotion.

Makhachev will have former UFC great Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, with whom he shares a brotherly relationship with. The Dagestani duo have been training together since their childhood days and have always had each other’s back.

While Khabib has bid farewell to the sport of MMA, Makhachev looks set to make his presence known in the post-Khabib era in the UFC lightweight division – a daunting task to pull off given the host of formidable contenders in the 155-pound weight class.

However, growing up with the best comes with its own set of advantages, and Makhachev will forever be grateful for that.

“Me and Khabib, we have a very close relationship,” Islam Makhachev told MMA Extra. “He’s not just my sparring partner or a friend, he’s like an older brother to me who showed me the way in life. He has already traveled the road for us. He showed us the way we should go and train. I would say I’ll remember him throughout my sports career and maybe through all my life because I knew him since the school days, and we used to go to the same school. We used to live minutes apart from each other. Afterward, we started training together, so all my life, I’ve known him.” (Translation courtesy: MMA Extra)

Islam Makhachev and Khabib both trained under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov

Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov was a huge guiding influence on Islam Makhachev and Khabib. He nurtured the talent of both of his pupils and turned them into MMA superstars.

Training under his tutelage, Makhachev and Khabib captured gold medals at the World Combat Sambo Championship.

A year before his death, Nurmagomedov was named the most successful sambo coach in Russia. He also became a recipient of the ‘Honored Coach of Russia’ award. In July 2020, the legendary coach passed away, which led to Khabib hanging up his gloves following his UFC 254 victory over Justin Gaethje.

With Khabib retired, Islam Makhachev plans to honor Nurmagomedov’s legacy by becoming the next UFC lightweight champion. The 29-year-old will take on Thiago Moises at UFC Vegas 31 this weekend.