Despite brutal training, coach Khabib Nurmagomedov shares not-fully satisfied reaction much to Islam Makhachev's dismay [VIDEO]

Islam Makhachev is gearing up to defend his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311. Unfortunately, his mentor and friend Khabib Nurmagomedov is yet to be won over by his efforts in training, despite acknowleging that Makhachev is working hard.

In a clip making the rounds on X/Twitter, Makhachev approached Nurmagomedov. Before the reigning lightweight champion directed the camera toward 'The Eagle,' he gave his own assessment of the training he had done.

"Well, we trained hard this week. You can tell by my face. Let's ask our coach."

Upon approaching Nurmagomedov, Makhachev awaits his mentor's take on the training they've done, only to find that the UFC Hall of Famer feels that more could be done.

"Am I happy? Honest? 4 out of 5 [stars]. Did we take a break on Wednesday evening? No, of course not [it's not allowed]. We only rest on Sunday and Saturday evening."

Check out Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov discuss training:

Nurmagomedov is known for pushing his students to the absolute limit, with newly minted UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad having previously described the work ethic 'The Eagle' instills in those who train with him. Makhachev is among the best of Nurmagomedov's students but is never given a moment's reprieve.

In fact, he's widely regarded as the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world, a claim that's only challenged by UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Come UFC 311, he will have the chance to strengthen his claim and break the lightweight title defense record by securing his fourth consecutive defense.

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Arman Tsarukyan was one of Islam Makhachev's toughest opponents

Before the UFC 284 war with ex-featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, the most difficult fight of Islam Makhachev's career was widely believed to be his first encounter with Arman Tsarukyan, who made his promotional debut against the future Dagestani star.

Check out the grappling sequences from Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan 1:

The pair had a highly competitive bout at UFC Fight Night 149, complete with thrilling grappling sequences. However, Tsarukyan waned as the fight progressed and Makhachev took over, winning via unanimous decision after three rounds.

Now, in the UFC 311 main event, Makhachev will be determined to prove that Tsarukyan is not his equal, while Tsarukyan will be searching for revenge.