Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team is changing its approach.
Dagestan’s MMA ended the year with a bang, as Islam Makhachev became the eleventh UFC fighter to reach two-division glory.
Makhachev defeated Jack Della Maddalena to win the welterweight title in the main event of UFC 322. The former lightweight champion added the gold to his trophy case with a comfortable decision win.
Makhachev is the subject of a heated debate about who he should face next. If UFC had its way, fans could already be hearing his first bout announced.
According to Ali Abdelaziz the manager, Khabib may have blocked Makhachev’s return in January. Now, it seems that this decision has been made public.
THROWBACK : Manny Pacquiao stepped out of retirement years before a fully-fledged comeback to boxing.
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Islam Makhachev says Team Khabib won’t accept two big fights at the same UFC event anymore
Abdelaziz claimed that the UFC enquired about booking Makhachev opposite either Kamaru Usman or Ian Machado Garry next month, likely at the promotion’s debut event on Paramount+.
Justin Gaethje vs Paddy Pimblett headlines UFC 324 with an interim title in Makhachev’s former division on the line, and the highly anticipated return of Amanda Nunes will come in the co-main event on January 24.
Makhachev won’t be joining those names despite the promotion’s apparent plan, and the welterweight king seemingly revealed that was down to his team’s new policy not to have multiple big fights on the same card.
“After every fight, we make some adjustments,”Makhachev told Red Corner MMA recently.
“For example, in January, Umar and I fought on the same card. After that, we decided not to have any more big fights at the same event.
“One fought just before the other. When I was in the locker room, I was watching Umar’s fight instead of warming up myself, even more so as it was such a nervous and hard fight,”He added.
“Khabib doesn’t want any innovations when it comes to our next fights.”
Umar Nurmagomedov is set to be on the first numbered event in the new year just as he did last January. In pursuit of another bantamweight title shot, ‘The Young Eagle’ will face Deiveson Figueiredo in Las Vegas.
Umar lost to Merab Dvalishvili in the co-main event of UFC 311, which was headlined by Makhachev’s lightweight title defense against Renato…
2025-12-11 20:00:00
