5 reasons why Islam Makhachev should not be compared to Khabib Nurmagomedov

#4. Comparing anyone, even Islam Makhachev, to Khabib Nurmagomedov is disrespectful to his legacy

It could be seen as disrespectful to compare anyone to the great Khabib Nurmagomedov

While comparing Islam Makhachev to Khabib Nurmagomedov may load pressure onto the shoulders of the former fighter, such comparisons could also be seen as highly disrespectful to the achievements of 'The Eagle'.

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s reign as UFC lightweight champion may not have lasted a massive length of time, just under three years to be exact, but in that period, he achieved a massive amount of success.

‘The Eagle’ made three successful defenses of his title, defeating Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje to tie a UFC record in the process. He also finished all three of his title defenses before the final buzzer.

Add these wins to his previous ones over the likes of Al Iaquinta, Rafael dos Anjos and Edson Barboza, and it’s easy to see why most UFC fans rank ‘The Eagle’ as the greatest lightweight in UFC history. With an overall MMA record of 29-0, in fact, it’s arguable that Khabib Nurmagomedov’s accomplishments stand alone and can never be matched by any UFC fighter, at least not in the near future.

Therefore, to compare any fighter to him, even if it’s one of his friends and teammates like Islam Makhachev, seems more than a little disrespectful.

Essentially, there’s only one Khabib Nurmagomedov and it’s unlikely that anyone will achieve what he did inside the octagon, not even Islam Makhachev.

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#3. Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov aren’t all that similar inside the octagon

Islam Makhachev has been described as a smoother grappler than Khabib Nurmagomedov

While Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov fight out of the same training camp, come from the same area of Russia and look alike enough to have some fans asking whether they’re related, the duo aren’t actually that similar inside the octagon.

Sure, they do rely primarily on their takedowns and their wrestling to win their fights, but outside of that, they’re very different fighters. Firstly, Khabib Nurmagomedov relied heavily on his speed, pressure and ability to close the distance to get his opponents to the ground, usually with slams or double leg takedowns from the outside.

Islam Makhachev, on the other hand, will often look to clinch with his foes in order to throw them down, as we saw when he tossed Leo Kuntz with a judo throw in his UFC debut. Unlike Khabib, he’s much more methodical with his wrestling game.

On the ground, again, the two are different. In fact, their coach at the American Kickboxing Academy, Javier Mendez, discussed the differences in a recent interview. Mendez stated that while Islam Makhachev is a smoother grappler in terms of his transitions, he isn’t as “mean” as Khabib Nurmagomedov.

This would explain their different styles on the mat. Islam Makhachev has shown a penchant for advancing position and looking to lock up submissions during his UFC tenure. Khabib Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, instead focused more on ground-and-pound and beating his opponents into submission instead.

Essentially, it’s easy to compare Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov due to their background, but the difference in their styles renders such comparisons largely moot.