Islam Makhachev says his mother wants him to ‘wrap up’ career now that he’s UFC champion

Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov, despite being long-time teammates and from the same region, have very different journeys in their respective careers. Makhachev, the current UFC lightweight champion, has been touted as the successor of Nurmagomedov for years, even earning the nickname "Khabib 2.0" from some of their close associates. In fact, Nurmagomedov himself has acknowledged the similarities between the two fighters.

Nurmagomedov's career, which saw him go undefeated with a record of 29-0, came to an abrupt end after his father and lifelong coach, Abdulmanap, passed away in 2020. Keeping a promise he made to his family, particularly his mother, Nurmagomedov retired from the sport following his victory over Justin Gaethje. Makhachev has revealed that his own mother has similar concerns, and this has played a role in his decision-making as well.

Despite the similarities in their backgrounds and fighting styles, Makhachev and Nurmagomedov have taken different paths in their careers. While Makhachev is making a name for himself as the new lightweight champion, Nurmagomedov has retired from the sport and moved on to coaching. Nevertheless, their shared experiences and close relationship continue to shape their lives both in and out of the octagon.

“My mother doesn’t watch fights,” Makhachev told UFC Russia. “Not just my fights, fights in general. She doesn’t like seeing people hit each other.

“When I came home [after winning the title], there were a lot of people there. She said, ‘You’re champion now. Wrap it up. Khabib listened to his mother, when will you listen to yours?’

Many fans and pundits consider Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement from the sport as premature, as he was still at the top of his game. However, Nurmagomedov had previously stated that his goal was to reach a record of 30-0, and he was only one fight away from achieving that before he retired. During his reign as the UFC lightweight champion, he had successfully defended his title three times, equaling the record for most title defenses in the division.

In contrast, Makhachev, Nurmagomedov's protégé and current UFC lightweight champion, recently secured his first title defense in a thrilling match against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia. While Makhachev's future plans are still uncertain, it is unclear if he will make any similar commitments as Nurmagomedov did to his family, particularly his mother, but fans can anticipate at least a couple more title defenses from the emerging champion.