5 reasons why Islam Makhachev could go on to have a greater UFC career than Khabib Nurmagomedov

#4. He has Khabib and Ali Abdelaziz to manage his career

No MMA manager is more successful than Ali Abdelaziz. A multitude of highly successful fighters have benefitted from Ali's ability to acquire favorable contracts and negotiate better routes to title fights.

World champions like Henry Cejudo, Kayla Harrison, Kamaru Usman, and Khabib himself are among the many fighters under his management.

Not only does Islam Makhachev benefit from Ali's experience as a successful MMA manager, but he also benefits from Khabib's partial role in managing his career.

Khabib, in particular, appears to have a great rapport with Dana White and the UFC as a whole from his past as a fighter. This enables him to instruct Islam on how to best communicate with the company's top brass in pursuit of a smoother career.

The hurdles Khabib has faced in his own career, such as his injuries and weight-cutting issues, Islam can likely avoid if he listens to his compatriot's advice.

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#3. Islam Makhachev is the more technical fighter

Khabib was an elite mixed martial artist whose combination of skill and athleticism rendered him terrifyingly effective. However, of the two, Islam Makhachev is the cleaner and more defensively sound fighter despite bearing a knockout loss on his record.

Islam is hit less than Khabib when standing because of his superior footwork and tighter defensive striking. While Islam works to ensure he's always in a serviceable position to throw defensively riskier strikes like kicks, Khabib was far more chaotic as the latter's intention was always to overwhelm his opponents.

Similarly, Khabib was more reckless with his takedown entries, willing to shoot in for a low single-leg takedown from a considerable distance as it enabled him to secure even a poor grip on his opponent's ankle and begin chaining takedowns.

Islam, by contrast, is more patient, often using feints to draw out his opponent's strikes in order to shoot under a punch when their hips are squared and exposed. Islam's cleaner, more defensively-minded approach will likely lead to him having to exert less effort than Khabib did in the octagon.