Islam Makhachev is just days out from his first welterweight title defense at UFC 330 against Ian Machado Garry, but the real talk is whether he’s finally out from under Khabib Nurmagomedov’s colossal shadow. Can he truly surpass his legendary coach, or has he somehow already done it?
The Weight of a Legacy
Makhachev is stepping into the Octagon as a welterweight champ, a title he snagged from Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. Before that, he was tearing it up as lightweight champion, picking up that belt at UFC 280 and pulling off four successful defenses. That’s serious business. He’s always given major props to Khabib and his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, saying they “made him.” Abdulmanap even told a young Makhachev he’d be champion if he just trained hard. Talk about a prophecy! But the shadow of Khabib Nurmagomedov continues to hang over Islam Makhachev’s career in the mind of many MMA fans. Khabib retired at a perfect 29-0, lightweight champ, leaving everyone wondering “what if” after his father’s passing stopped him from hitting 30-0. That undefeated run makes him almost mythological in the sport.
Numbers, Losses, and the GOAT Talk
Now, Makhachev is walking into Saturday’s fight with 29 career fights under his belt, the exact same number Khabib had when he hung up the gloves. Wild, right? But there’s a massive difference: Makhachev has tasted defeat. In only his second UFC fight, his thirteenth pro fight, Adriano Martins knocked him out. And yeah, Martins has gone 1-6 since, making that loss look like a total fluke in hindsight. But a fluke is still a loss, and Khabib’s record has absolutely zero of those. Khabib had 13 UFC fights, headlining just four times, all of them for UFC gold.
When you stack them up, the numbers tell a story. Makhachev holds 17 UFC wins to Khabib’s 13. He’s got lightweight and welterweight titles, while Khabib snagged the lightweight. Makhachev boasts 4 title defenses to Khabib’s 3. And his list of “best wins” , Alexander Volkanovski (twice!), Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, Jack Della Maddalena , looks incredibly strong next to Khabib’s own stellar list of Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. Khabib still has the edge in takedown success, 91% to Makhachev’s 84%. Makhachev’s current championship run is undeniably dominant, putting him right in the thick of the GOAT conversation.
This Saturday’s showdown against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 isn’t just another title defense. It’s Makhachev’s chance to cement his own legend. Can he keep building on this dominance and make everyone officially declare he’s stepped beyond his mentor’s shadow, even with that one hiccup on his record? You know we’ll be glued to the screen.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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