Islam Makhachev Shuts Down Talks of Jealousy in Relationship With Khabib Nurmagomedov

Earlier this year at UFC 311, Nurmagomedov expressed clear frustration following Umar Nurmagomedov’s disappointing title loss against Merab Dvalishvili . At UFC 321, Umar successfully bounced back by defeating Mario Bautista , regaining his position as a strong title contender.

The 135-pounder rightly mentioned that he constantly tries to replicate Nurmagomedov’s legendary discipline and mindset, but has yet to reach it. And just like the #1 bantamweight title contender, Makhachev has also always credited Nurmagomedov and his father for his success and plans to continue this in the future. 

Islam Makhachev couldn’t stop laughing at the current UFC lightweight division dynamics

Before moving up to the welterweight division, Islam Makhachev dominated the lightweight scene with an all-around skillset and registered 4 defenses of the belt. After he vacated his title, Ilia Topuria capitalized on the opportunity and defeated Charles Oliveira to become the new lightweight world champion at UFC 317.

Now, several top contenders, including Paddy Pimblett , Justin Gaethje , and Arman Tsarukyan, have called out Topuria for a title shot. The Englishman already shares a long-standing rivalry with Topuria, and their heated face-off thrilled fight fans across the world. The Georgian-Spanish star believes a potential showdown with the Liverpudlian would be massive and has the potential to become a blockbuster event.

While there are no concrete plans as to when Topuria will make his first 155lbs title defense, there were prior rumors that he would headline the UFC’s first Paramount card set to take place in January 2026. However, Makhachev argued that Pimblett doesn’t deserve a title shot considering his recent accomplishments and the names on his resume.

Not Paddy for sure. Who Paddy beat? Tony Ferguson? Everybody beat Chandler. Nobody check Paddy before. It’s not big challenge for Topuria.

Islam Makhachev via ESPN MMA.

Moreover, Makhachev also openly stated that he is willing to face Topuria at the highly anticipated White House event if fans demand it. However, the Dagestani has made it clear that for him to cut back to lightweight, he will need a massive payday. Before any potential superfight with Topuria, Makhachev must first focus on his next opponent, Jack Della Maddalena , at UFC 322 next month.

Bookmakers currently favor Makhachev due to his championship experience, though fans are equally excited about Della Maddalena’s aggressive striking style. Makhachev has added noticeable muscle for his welterweight debut, but JDM remains confident about securing victory.