Makhachev is still at the top of his game – but his coach and long-time friend Khabib Nurmagomedov believes the former lightweight champion has a few years left in the sport
Khabib Nurmagomedov has predicted that Islam Makhachev, may only have two years left in the sport, revealing a surprising timeline for the UFC star.
Makhachev has been a formidable presence in the UFC since his debut in 2015. He achieved his dream of becoming a world champion in 2022 when he defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. The Dagestani powerhouse successfully defended his title four times, taking down Alexander Volkanovski twice, Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano.
Earlier this year, after defeating Moicano, Makhachev shocked the MMA world by announcing his decision to vacate the lightweight title to move up to welterweight. The 33-year-old is set to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the 170lb title later this year.
In June, Javier Mendez, Makhachev’s long-time trainer, suggested a surprising retirement timeline for the Russian, stating that the fighter might only have three more fights. Now, nearly two months after Mendez’s comments, Nurmagomedov has weighed in, reports All Out Fighting. Khabib famously retired at the peak of his career after defeating Justin Gaethje in 2020.
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At a recent press conference, Nurmagomedov discussed the importance of fighters knowing when to retire. While he believes Makhachev still has plenty to offer before slowing down, the ‘Eagle’ thinks fighters should hang up their gloves before they start to fade.
Nurmagomedov has voiced his belief that Makhachev will only compete for a maximum of two more years, echoing the sentiments of Mendez. “Islam maybe, my honest opinion, one and a half, two years because [his] age [in] October is going to be 34. Nobody is going to be [the] same. When time comes, they don’t ask what’s your name… When you become 35, you need to stop doing this because [you should] leave this sport for young guys.”
He further added: “When you become 35 and you don’t finish, somebody is going to finish you. Why? It’s better to finish. After 35, you’re never going to be the same. People can talk whatever they want, when you’re past your prime, you [are] going to fight only for money.”
Regarding Makhachev’s upcoming bout, Nurmagomedov all but confirmed a fight with Della Maddalena in November. He disclosed to his manager, Ali Abdelaziz: “[Abdelaziz is] upset because I’m giving them information,” the 36-year-old said. But this is his deal with the UFC; I don’t deal with the UFC; this is his problem. We have a deal with [the UFC]. [Makhachev] is gonna fight in Madison Square Garden. They said yes.”
When is Islam Makhachev’s next fight?
With the Russian’s next fight set to take place in November, Makhachev is seemingly gearing up for a gruelling training camp. In a recent post uploaded to Instagram, the former lightweight champion showed off the final moments of a holiday – where he enjoyed horse riding as well as several other activities.
He captioned the post: “Finished the vacation with a horse ride. Let’s work.” With three months to go until his potential clash with the welterweight champion, it is evident that the Russian is now starting to think about training for the super-fight. The 33-year-old recently worried MMA fans after revealing he is finding it hard to get up in weight for his 170lb debut.
“I will try to be big and you know, it’s not easy man,” Makhachev told MMA Junkie. “All my life I cut weight but now, when I want to be big, my weight stays in the same position. I try to lift more. We do some program and like slowly, slowly we bring some, maybe 2kg [roughly 4.4lb] right now and it’s very hard but I don’t want to be big by food, eating and not training. I want to be with muscles you know, I want to do training, a right lifting program and bring some muscles.”