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Khabib Nurmagomedov was incredibly delighted to see his longtime friend and teammate Islam Makhachev record a submission win at UFC Vegas 31.
Challenging Thiago Moises in the main event, Makhachev put on a dominating show against the Brazilian. After three fairly comfortable rounds, the Dagestani took Moises' back and choked him out viciously in the fourth frame.
Nurmagomedov, one of Makhachev's cornermen, was thrilled to witness his teammate's win.
You can watch his reaction below:
At UFC Vegas 31, Makhachev registered his eighth consecutive win in the promotion. Prior to Saturday's win, he had defeated Drew Dober at UFC 259 in March earlier this year.
On the back of an impressive eight-fight win streak, the 29-year-old is considered the brightest prospect in the 155-pound division. Also touted as the next Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev is expected to fight a higher-ranked opponent in his next outing.
The #9-ranked lightweight made a slew of callouts following his win over Moises. During his post-fight interview, he challenged Rafael dos Anjos, only to later shift his focus to Tony Ferguson. Makhachev said he wants to "help Ferguson retire." He also called out Michael Chandler and expressed interest in facing Beneil Dariush as well.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's impressive coaching stint
Ever since he announced his retirement in October last year, Khabib Nurmagomedov has clearly succeeded in his new role as a coach. 'The Eagle' has been a cornerman on six occasions, helping his teammates win a total of five fights.
The likes of Umar Nurmagomedov, Usman Nurmagomedov, Abubakar Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev have been the beneficiaries of Khabib's coaching skills.
However, the former UFC lightweight great has no plans of becoming a full-time coach.
"I don’t plan to be a professional coach. But when my brothers fight, since I have a lot of experience in the octagon, I can give good advice, especially when it’s guys that you grew up with and know well. You know their strengths and weaknesses, how they match up against their opponent - I’ll be doing that in the future," said Nurmagomedov (Tranlation courtesy: RT Sport MMA).
Nurmagomedov hung up his gloves after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Dana White tried to persuade him to come out of retirement for months, but the 32-year-old stood firm with his decision.
In March 2021, the UFC president confirmed Khabib Nurmagomedov would not make his return to the octagon.
