Islam Makhachev says Khabib Nurmagomedov is still very entrenched in the fight game.
Nurmagomedov retired as an undefeated UFC lightweight champion and has since passed the torch onto Makhachev, who has lived up to the potential by becoming 155-pound champ himself.
Nurmagomedov insists he will never fight again, but Makhachev admits that Nurmagomedov still loves the game.
“I think he’s happy, but this guy misses fighting, fight camp,” Makhachev said on Shadow Lion’s “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo. “That’s why he joins us everywhere. He loves to train – every day, he trains.
“Not just when he’s with us, everyday this guy’s training. He has a house in the village, a house in the city. Both houses have a sauna, very good gym, swimming pool. This guy is training everyday.”
Makhachev says Nurmagomedov currently weighs over 200 pounds, making him even harder to deal with as a training partner.
“It’s not a secret, Khabib has like the worst style for everybody,” Makhachev said. “If he takes you down, he takes all your energy, all your power because he’s very heavy on top.
“I don’t have the same skills because always when I’m on top, I’m looking for choke, to do something, but this guy has crazy control, he holds you. Now, he has crazy power because he’s big and he holds you and you say, ‘Hey, get out.'”
Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) defends his lightweight title against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 302 main event June 1. Makhachev’s mentor Nurmagomedov submitted Poirier in Round 3 of their title fight at UFC 242.
For more on the cards, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 302.
