UFC

Islam Makhachev is the only one to have beaten Khabib Nurmagomedov in training confirms Javier Mendez

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The hype train surrounding Islam Makhachev isn’t dying down after another great story with Khabib Nurmagomedov

Javier Mendez knows his MMA as he is the coach of possibly the greatest clique in the world.

While Mendez is known for being the coach of Khabib Nurmagomedov, he is also the coach of rising UFC star Islam Makhachev.

Khabib has claimed that Makhachev is the next big thing in the UFC and the stories around the 29-year-old suggest great things are in store for him.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is the reigning UFC lightweight champion. (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)

While Makhachev does have one loss to his name, unlike Khabib, he does have something over the Eagle.

Mendez was speaking to Helen Yee about Makhachev’s next fight against Drew Dober at UFC 259. While he spoke about the challenge that Dober possessed, Mendez also brought up the sparring sessions between Khabib and Makhachev:

“When people talk to me about Khabib sparring and I say he’s never lost a sparring session ever in the history of sparring with me, never.

“I’d say he does lose a round here and there and the one thing I’ve never said who. And the person who is Islam. He is the only person that’s ever won a round against Khabib, ever, ever.

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“He’s the only one who has done it ever and all the years I have been with him, the nine years, no one’s ever beat him in a round, never.

“So if Islam is winning a round here and there, how good is Islam?”

Islam Makhachev should fight a top five guy

The Russian is the favourite going into this fight against Dober but Mendez had some great words for the American.

Mendez believed that Dober would be a tough fight for Makhachev but the Russian would win. However, he claimed that a fight against Rafael Dos Anjos would have helped the brand of Makhachev better since the Brazilian was ranked.

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 11: Islam Makhachev (T) of Russia fights against Nik Lentz (B) of United States in their lightweight bout during UFC 208 at the Barclays Center on February 11, 2017 in the Brooklyn Borough of New York City. (Photo by Anthony Geathers/Getty Images)

Makhachev is ranked #14 in the Lightweight division while Dober is not. Further, Mendez believed that Makhachev deserved to fight someone in the top five and the Russian’s breakout clash could be the one after this.

Many have talked highly of Makhachev, including Khabib, and it will be interesting to see how he does against Dober.

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Saiyed Adeem Karim

Ditching a corporate job to follow a dream isn't easy, but when football comes calling, who can say no? Been following the beautiful game since 1998. Liverpool addict, F1 fanatic!