Khabib Nurmagomedov

What happens when you finish the greatest finisher in the history of MMA?

Lots of things. For starters, you win a UFC title. Secondly, you create your own legacy, one that defines itself in years instead of months. And finally, if you’re Islam Makhachev, you step out of the shadow of your legendary mentor and cement yourself as your own legend, an athlete and fighter in full.

Saturday at UFC 280, Makhachev captured the vacant UFC lightweight championship by submitting the great Charles Oliveira at 3:16 of the second round. Despite his status as only a slight betting favorite, Makhachev dominated the contest from pillar to post. Oliveira, who holds the UFC records for most finishes (19) and submissions (16), was never really in the fight.

With coach, friend and retired lightweight GOAT Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, Makhachev wrote another chapter in the ongoing saga of MMA greats from Russia’s Dagestan region.

“I always figured this was not going to be an easy fight,” Makhachev told broadcaster Daniel Cormier in the cage after the fight. “Because [Oliveira] always pushes his opponent. But I knew he was gonna be wary of my wrestling skills. That’s why I cannot be pushed too much.”

Indeed. One of the things fans love most about Oliveira (33-9 [1]) is his instinctive willingness to dive directly into the belly of the beast—and then find a way to pull victory out of the fire. For example, he did it fairly recently when he chose to bang with knockout artists like Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler, and managed to get stoppages both times. That seemed to be his strategy in the first round against Makhachev, when during an early clinch he appeared to drag the Dagestani down to the canvas and into his guard.

It didn’t work out for him. Oliveira hunted for a choke and then a leg lock, but Makhachev was implacable from the top. The action eventually returned to the feet, but Makhachev used a nifty toss to get the fight back to the mat, which is where the round ended. According to UFC stats, Makhachev controlled 3:48 of the five-minute round, landing 12 significant strikes to Oliveira’s six. That’s what they call a dominant 10-9 round.

Makhachev takes the first round with a strong wrestling base and ground and pound to start the first. #UFC280

— Adam Martin (@MMAdamMartin) October 22, 2022

In its opening moments, the second round felt like it might favor Oliveira. As the action played out on the feet, Oliveira marched forward, firing punches and kicks but not landing anything of consequence.

Clearly preoccupied with Makhachev’s takedown threat, Oliveira was taking a visibly more conservative approach to the standup game than fans are used to seeing from Do Bronx.

Makhachev took advantage. Instead, it was he who was landing the bigger shots, including a sharp one-two combination that appeared to stun Oliveira.

With roughly two minutes remaining in the second stanza, Makhachev dropped Oliveira with a right hook, and the ex-champ appeared stunned. Makhachev fought through up kicks and jumped into Oliveira’s half guard. From there he immediately locked on an arm-triangle choke. Once he passed half guard and reached full side control, the torque was on in earnest, and the squeeze of Makhachev was simply too much. Oliveira quickly tapped, and a new champion was minted.

What was it like to submit the UFC’s submission king?

“I always said this was my goal,” Makhachev told Cormier matter-of-factly.

Makhachev then dedicated his win to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, his former coach and Khabib’s father, who died in 2020 from complications related to COVID-19, as Khabib stood downcast in the background.

But it went beyond just that bit of symmetry. Statistics are not the be-all and end-all in MMA, but they sure can tell a story sometimes, and they certainly told one here. The new champion outstruck the former champion 30-19, with a sky-high accuracy rate of 73 percent compared with 48 percent for Oliveira. He landed 2-of-3 takedowns—right in line with his career 65 percent success rate, also extremely high. Makhachev managed more than a full round’s worth of control time with 5:05 total; Oliveira checked in with 0:42.

Islam Makhachev EASILY beats Charles Oliveira, submitting him with a head and arm triangle in the second round. #UFC280

— Luke Thomas🏋️‍♀️ (@lthomasnews) October 22, 2022

Make no mistake: This was pure dominance, the kind fans expected from Nurmagomedov but not for Makhachev, protégé or no. Makhachev appeared to lack the dynamism, aggression, offensive tool kit and pure meanness that made his mentor the greatest at what he did at 155 pounds. Plenty of people, myself included, pointed to his weak strength of schedule, punctuated by good-not-great names like Bobby Green and Dan Hooker. While Makhachev dominated lesser competition, Oliveira was gun-slinging with the likes of Dustin Poirier and Tony Ferguson.

But here, at age 31 and now with a record of 23-1 and an 11-fight UFC win streak, Makhachev has established himself as an active great in the UFC.

So what does the future hold for the new champ? Let’s let Nurmagomedov tell the story, as he jumped on the mic post-fight to offer some ideas.

“Now it’s our plan to fly all the way to Australia and fight the pound-for-pound king Alex Volkanovski,” Nurmagomedov said. “You know we’re going to finish this guy.”

Volkanovski is, of course, the reigning featherweight champ, but has designs on the lightweight belt as well. UFC president Dana White has indicated a willingness to pit Volkanovski against Saturday’s winner.

So, we shall see. But for now, Makhachev can be secure with his place in the MMA hierarchy—independent of his friend and mentor Nurmagomedov—after finishing maybe the best finisher in the history of the entire sport. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

Khabib Nurmagomedov wants the world to know Islam Makhachev is the best fighter in the world after the Russian star earned a submission win over Charles Oliveira to take the lightweight championship at UFC 280 on Saturday.

"I told you guys Islam Makhachev is the best fighter, not just in lightweight. He's No. 1 pound-for-pound in the world," Nurmagomedov said after the fight (h/t ESPN's Marc Raimondi). "Now plan is to fight pound-for-pound king Alexander Volkanovski in his home of Australia."

After the challenge was made, Volkanovski got in the cage to accept a bout for the lightweight championship and unofficial title of best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Alexander Volkanovski accepts Islam Makhachev's challenge to fight for the UFC lightweight title and P4P No. 1 status #UFC280 pic.twitter.com/iezb8rOyJa

— Shakiel Mahjouri (@Shak_Fu) October 22, 2022

Coming into Saturday's event from Abu Dhabi, Oliveira told reporters Makhachev was only getting a title shot because of his relationship with Nurmagomedov.

"I think Islam deserves all the respect in the world," Oliveira said. "But I think he should’ve fought somebody maybe in the top five like I did, not just surf on someone else’s wave and skip the line like he did."

It's not an unfair statement for Oliveira to make. Makhachev's last fight before Saturday's bout was over Bobby Green in February. Green has been a journeyman fighter for most of his tenure in UFC and has a 29-13-1 career record in 43 fights.

Makhachev was originally supposed to take on Beneil Dariush on the show, but Green got the spot when Dariush had to withdraw because of an ankle injury.

Nurmagomedov, who vacated the lightweight title when he retired from competition after defeating Justin Gaethje at UFC 254, has moved into the coaching ranks. Makhachev is one of the fighters working with The Eagle.

Oliveira won the vacant 155-pound title by defeating Michael Chandler at UFC 262 in May 2021. Do Bronx was forced to vacate the championship for missing weight prior to his scheduled bout with Gaethje at UFC 274.

The win by Makhachev is, by far, the biggest of his career. It also improved his career record to 23-1.

Volkanovski is the most dominant current champion in UFC. The Great has held the featherweight crown for more than 1,000 days since beating Max Holloway in December 2019. He has successfully defended the title three times.

Despite primarily competing in the 145-pound division, Volkanovski does have three career fights as a lightweight. He hasn't competed in the division since 2016.

Former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley recently revealed his personal list of the top 10 MMA fighters of all time, but one notable name was left off.

During an appearance on BS w/ Jake Paul (h/t TMZ Sports), Woodley explained why Khabib Nurmagomedov, who retired with a perfect 29-0 record, didn't make the cut.

"[Khabib] on my top 10 list? Probably not," Woodley said. "I f--k with Khabib. I like him. I respect him a lot. I think he's a good fighter. I think his type of fight for that weight class [lightweight], nobody could do that besides Sean Sherk back in the day, but like, he was just really aggressive, but I didn't see the wrestler with good hands fight him so I couldn't really jump on that train."

The fighters that did make Woodley's list included Georges St-Pierre, Jon Jones, Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson, Carlos Condit and Anderson Silva, who is fighting Jake Paul in a boxing match on Oct. 29.

Leaving Nurmagomedov off a top-10 list is baffling, considering that he's universally regarded as the greatest lightweight fighter of all time. The Dagestani fighter was known for his relentless wrestling and his unmatched aggression. He claimed the UFC lightweight title in 2018 and successfully defended it three times before his retirement.

Nurmagomedov's last three wins came against former interim or undisputed champions in Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. The 34-year-old finished all three fights by submission.

After his win over Gaethje, Nurmagomedov said he didn't wish to continue his career without his father Abdulmanap, who was also his head coach and died in 2020 after contracting COVID-19.

Since his retirement, Nurmagomedov has successfully transitioned to a coach for American Kickboxing Academy, which was his home gym during his career. His top pupil, Islam Makhachev, is scheduled to face Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight championship in the main event of UFC 280 on Oct. 22.

Nurmagomedov has also delved into the promoter game, launching Eagle Fighting Championships last year. The promotion's most recent event was held on Aug. 21.

While Woodley doesn't see Nurmagomedov as one of the top 10 fighters of all time, he is undoubtedly one of the few people to hold that opinion.

Welcome back to the B/R MMA Mailbag. Here's where we answer your questions about the various MMA issues of the day.

The UFC took last weekend off, and into the void stepped a big Bellator card and the stateside debut of the suddenly star-laden Eagle FC promotion, now owned by lightweight GOAT Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Although the UFC is the unquestioned lord and master of the MMA world, it doesn't quite reach full monolith status. As long as global demand for blood sports persists (and UFC fighter pay levels remain a concern), the UFC will never truly be the only game in town.

To be crystal clear: even in a crowded field, the UFC is miles ahead. But the battle for Nos. 2 and 3 is as hot as it's ever been. What horse do you have your money on?

Let's weigh the options. Want to see your question or comment here? Drop it in the mailbag each Monday, and I'll answer a selection of some of the more reasonable ones. Let's get it on.

          

I think the PFL format has value, maybe offset the schedule so every card has a title fight and expanded roster

@NetProphet

The Professional Fighters League has two structural advantages going for it: an innovative regular-season/postseason format and the sparkly $1 million prize for season winners in six different weight classes.

There are downsides. First, the format is fun but rigid, meaning it may be too complex to bring flexibility—i.e., different timelines for each divisional season—into the mix. Second, with Kayla Harrison perhaps poised to fly the coop, PFL is a little short on big-name fighters.

They do have a few, with Anthony Pettis leading the pack, but a flagging Rory MacDonald and jiu-jitsu wiz Antonio Shoeface are not household names. The recent signing of a very washy Jeremy Stephens is fun, I guess, but kind of in the same semi-mediocre vein. Homegrown talents like Ray Cooper III and Lance Palmer are impressive competitors, but they haven't broken through to the mainstream consciousness. 

The PFL has to be heartened by recent news that its tentpole star may indeed be returning to the fold. But Harrison can't fight on every card, and when she does compete, the way she consistently mollywhopps the jobbers takes some intrigue out of the equation. Boxing champ Claressa Shields has been bandied about as a potential opponent, but to date her 1-1 MMA record hasn't shown she's equal to the challenge or the hype.

The league will heat up again in April when it begins its 2022 season behind a multiyear contract renewal with ESPN. There's a lot to like in the PFL, even if it lacks some of the shine of its competitors.

           

It's been Bellator for years

@Bear2327

It's true. Bellator just keeps chugging along.

Bring Bellator your tired, your hungry, your huddled masses. If you made a name for yourself in the UFC but were released or grew disgruntled, you have a home in Bellator. 

Last Saturday's Bellator 273 card was topped by heavyweight champ and eight-year UFC veteran Ryan Bader, who decisioned interim champ Valentin Moldavsky to unify the strap. Former UFC lightweight belt-holder Benson Henderson was doing Benson Henderson things in the co-main, grinding out a dull but technically proficient split-decision win over heavily favored Islam Mamedov, who hadn't lost since 2009. 

If this is indeed the end… Thank you, Benson. 👏

A Hall of Fame-worthy career, @BensonHenderson snaps his losing streak with a Split Decision win at #Bellator273 LIVE on @SHOsports. pic.twitter.com/tL4HmBQ3yq

— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) January 30, 2022

The list of UFC converts goes on, from Sergio Pettis to Cris Cyborg to Corey Anderson. Legends from around the game, like heavyweight GOAT short-lister Fedor Emelianenko, also are in the mix. Remember, Bellator MMA is owned by media giant Viacom. The company is canny about its decisions, but when it does decide to pursue someone, it has the resources to get its man and/or woman.

What sets Bellator apart from the PFLs of the world is its demonstrated ability to find and cultivate young talent. For example, the promotion has an electric star on its hands in AJ McKee, the featherweight champion and Bellator's current pound-for-pound kingpin. The 26-year-old with the spotless 18-0 record has only ever competed professionally under the Bellator banner.

Similar examples of Bellator-developed talent include Patricio Freire and Michael Chandler. Aaron Pico, perhaps the most ballyhooed prospect in the history of the sport, is on a five-fight winning streak after stumbling big time out of the gate.

Put it all together, and Bellator is your clear No. 2.

               

UFC has established itself to be in the top spot. A better question would be who can be #2 and I would say Eagle FC because it's being run by a respected legend who understands what fighters want.

@SkipBrainless

Well, the question was who can be the UFC's biggest competitor, so I'd say the question was pretty good.

To your more specific point, we may need to pump the brakes just a bit on the meteoric rise of Eagle FC. 

Every new show puts its best foot forward at first. Eagle FC, which streams for free on something called FLX Cast, certainly emptied its talent tank for Eagle FC 44 last Friday in South Florida. 

In the main event, two striking legends met when old-as-the-hills Sergei Kharitonov, 41, defeated Tyrone Spong by second-round TKO. Other notables on the card included former UFC light heavyweight champ and current media personality Rashad Evans, ex-flyweight contender Ray Borg and welterweight slugger John Howard. Former UFC lightweight challenger Kevin Lee and former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao also are on the roster.

Eagle FC 44 highlights: Sergei Kharitonov mauls Tyrone Spong for second round stoppage https://t.co/lo6sSYrX0Q

— Andrew Richardson (@AndyLRichardson) January 29, 2022

But Eagle may have an advantage in generating its own fighters. Given Nurmagomedov's involvement, this could become a developmental league for the well-stocked North Caucasus region of Russia, which includes Nurmagomedov's native Dagestan. Check any divisional ranking, and you'll likely see this region represented. The lightweight GOAT gives Eagle FC a built-in advantage here. 

So, there are some makings. But the promotion will have to put on more than one or two big cards to establish itself among the sport's major properties.

                       

Jake Paul Productions 

@Ninergang916

This isn't so silly as it seems. Bro, I'm not even kidding. 

Jake Paul has taken it upon himself to hit the UFC right where it hurts: its large, stingy wallet. That's going to keep the show relevant far beyond the merits of its competition. That's the power of sizzle, and Paul is a professional sizzler.

Are his boxing matches with aged MMA wrestlers the stuff of legend? No, they are not. No one needed to see Ben Askren halfheartedly box his way to a loss and a big payday. Paul's two bouts with Tyron Woodley weren't much better. And we won't even bring up Nate Robinson.

https://twitter.com/Zaki_Lucy/status/1483627624044044289

But the question isn't who can put on the better fights. Don't forget: The UFC is unparalleled in that area. Paul is taking a different tack, leaning into the carnivalistic nature of his own fight career and the fight game in general. He's hit on a formula of making himself look good on the backs of well-known but boxing-deficient MMA fighters. In the meantime, he's offering more zeroes in Most Valuable Promotions than the UFC—as Paul is always quick to point out.

Paul and company will never compete directly with the UFC, but there's no doubt that they're carving out their niche, especially given their new contract with Showtime.

Let us now close up the B/R MMA mailbag. You're all competitors here. See you next week for new topics.

Representatives for Jake Paul refuted comments made by retired UFC star Khabib Nurmagomedov about Eagle FC offering him a contract.

"We offered him, we offered him [a contract]," said Nurmagomedov, who helped found Eagle FC. "Now we're waiting on his answer. If he wants, we're here."

Most Valuable Promotions responded to say that wasn't true, though.

"We spit facts only," the company said in an Instagram story (via MMA Fighting). "MVP has received multiple offers for Mr. Paul to enter MMA. Eagle is not one of them as of today."

Earlier in the month, Nurmagomedov reached out to Paul on Twitter to say Eagle FC would be willing to bring him aboard. The 25-year-old said he'd entertain the possibility on one big condition:

по рукам. только если я буду драться с тобой первым.

deal. only if I fight you first. https://t.co/4oRAZq8Ez3

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) January 23, 2022

Paul is 5-0 as a professional boxer. He most recently knocked out former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in the sixth round in December.

Having found success in a boxing ring, the Ohio native has teased a transition to mixed martial arts.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is planning to bring his MMA promotion, Eagle FC, to the United States for an event in January 2022, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi.

The "very big" event, as described by Nurmagomedov, will take place in Miami with several stars already signed up for the competition.

"If you want to become big in MMA, you have to be in USA," the retired UFC star said. "For fighters, for promotion, you have to be in U.S. If you're not in U.S., you can never become No. 1 or best. It's almost impossible."

Nurmagomedov initially purchased the promotion in 2020 and rebranded it from Gorilla Fighting Championship to Eagle FC. They have run 15 events to this point, with 13 coming in Russia and the other two taking place in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

The upcoming event will be the first of several in the United States, with another one likely planned for March in Miami. Khabib said he is looking to sign more than 50 fighters over the next year.

Nurmagomedov was one of the most successful MMA fighters of all time before retiring in October 2020.

The Russian went 29-0 in his professional career, winning the UFC lightweight title before defending it against Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje, winning each by submission.

Though just 33 years old, Khabib said he has no intention of returning to the Octagon and will instead focus on helping the next generation of competitors.

In addition to promoting Eagle FC, Nurmagomedov has been a successful coach leading multiple fighters over the past year.   

When Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement from mixed martial arts in November 2020, in what seemed to be the prime of his fighting life, it felt like the end of something. He had been so dominant for so long, almost single-handedly putting Russia's rugged Republic of Dagestan on the MMA map along the way, and suddenly, only moments after he strangled Justin Gaethje unconscious to improve to a staggering 29-0 overall, it was all over. 

Just one year later, Nurmagomedov's retirement looks less like the end of something and more like the flashpoint for an era of dominance for fighters from Dagestan, its surrounding republics and oblasts, and larger Russia.

The signs couldn't be any clearer after UFC 267, which went down last Saturday in the heat of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. 

In the fourth of six main card fights, Dagestan's Islam Makhachev picked up a first-round submission victory over New Zealand's Dan Hooker, who has proved himself to be one of the grittiest fighters in the lightweight division. The win pushed Makhachev, who happens to be a close friend and training partner of Nurmagomedov, to an incredible 21-1 overall. It also cemented his status as one of the top contenders for for a shot at the lightweight title Nurmagomedov once wore. 

The 30-year-old wasted no time in calling for that opportunity post-fight. 

"Next fight, it has to be for the title, or a contender fight, because I have a nine-fight winning streak," Makhachev said at the UFC 267 post-fight press conference. "Who in my division have this? Just the champion [Charles Oliveira]. 

"And I feel my division is a little bit asleep right now," he added, putting his rivals on notice in a way Nurmagomedov once might have. "I have to wake up my division, because we have to change some things. The old guys from the top five, they've already fought for the title: [Michael] Chandler, [Justin] Gaethje. That's why we have to change something."

It remains to be seen if Makhachev gets his desired title shot, but he's very close to getting his hands on his division's ultimate prize.

The same can be said of Khamzat Chimaev, a native of Russia's Chechen Republic, which borders Dagestan. The 27-year-old extended his record to 10-0 with a first-round submission win—the product of a rear-naked choke—over China's Li Jingliang on the UFC 267 main card. 

Chimaev, though relatively inexperienced, has long drawn comparisons to Nurmagomedov and, despite their brief and supposedly overblown feud, has made it clear that he has immense respect for the retired legend.

After Chimaev's win over Jingliang, many believe he's primed for a Nurmagomedov-esque reign as a UFC champion, but he already considers himself the welterweight division's uncrowned king.

"I am coming for everybody," Chimaev said in his post-fight interview. "I kill everybody. I am the champ."

Makhachev and Chimaev's UFC 267 wins prove that Nurmagomedov's retirement was not the end of Russia's time in the MMA limelight, but rather the beginning of it—and that's without even mentioning new interim bantamweight champion Petr Yan, heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov, or light heavyweight contender Magomed Ankalaev, who also won in Abu Dhabi.

While none of them are closely affiliated with or regularly compared to Nurmagomedov, all three carry the Russian flag when they make their walks to the Octagon. Then there's Tagir Ulanbekov and Zubaira Tukhugov, a pair of rising Nurmagomedov students, both of whom won on Saturday's undercard.

All of the above seem to recognize their role in continuing Nurmagomedov's incredible legacy—none more clearly, perhaps, than Makhachev, who now calls the unbeaten legend a head coach. 

Makhachev doesn't just relish comparisons to Nurmagomedov, but he also strives to cultivate them as he continues his march toward the lightweight title. 

"I want to be next Khabib," he told BT Sport ahead of his victory over Hooker. "I want to be like Khabib. Honestly, I want to smash all my opponents like Khabib, too.

"If somebody say, 'You fight like Khabib' or 'You gonna be like Khabib,' I want to be."

While much of the football world was caught off guard by Cristiano Ronaldo heading back to Manchester United late in the summer transfer window, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov said Ronaldo tipped him off well in advance.

"A month ago, he told me that he was moving to Manchester United," Khabib, a close friend to CR7, told reporters. "I expected this deal to take place. I think that Manchester United is more suitable for him than Juventus. For me, the transition was not a surprise."

The comments fly in the face of the narrative the reunion was a last-minute decision.

Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said as recently as Aug. 21 he didn't expect Ronaldo to leave the Serie A club before the transfer deadline.

"Cristiano has always trained well and has never expressed his desire to leave Juventus," Allegri said. "He told me that he's staying, so we can clear that one up."

Then, after information emerged that United beat out rival Manchester City to land the five-time Ballon d'Or winner, Neil Custis of The Sun reported an "emotional conversation" between Ronaldo and former Red Devils manager Sir Alex Ferguson late in the process swung the tide in favor of an Old Trafford return.

Ronaldo hinted toward Ferguson's importance in an interview with the club's official website on Wednesday.

"For me, Sir Alex Ferguson is like a father in football for me," Ronaldo said. "He helped me a lot, he taught me many things, and in my opinion of course he had a big role because the relationship that we had, we keep in touch all the time, and he's an unbelievable person. I really like him a lot and he was the main key for me to be in the position that I am, that I signed for Manchester United."

So something doesn't add up between all those comments and Nurmagomedov apparently finding out about the move weeks ago.

Regardless, Ronaldo is back in the United squad and will soon be roaming Old Trafford in his famed No. 7 kit once again.

The Red Devils' first match after the international break is set for Sept. 11 when they host Newcastle United in Premier League action.