"I didn't lose the belt"- Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why its only fair that he got to put the belt around Islam Makhachev after his win at UFC 280

Khabib Nurmagomedov notably wrapped the UFC lightweight title around his friend and teammate Islam Makhachev's waist following the latter's championship-winning performance at UFC 280 this past weekend. Nurmagomedov, who now coaches Makhachev, recently revealed why he did so.

Speaking to ESPN MMA, Nurmagomedov claimed that he asked UFC president Dana White if he could give Makhachev the belt, highlighting that he never lost it in the first place:

"I told Dana, 'Brother, I have to give him this belt because I didn't lose belt because I know I'm the champion till this day before Islam become champion.' I come to Dana, 'Brother, I have to put.' He said, 'No problem, take, this is yours, this is Dagestani belt.' He gave me, I put on, it's crazy. This is very, very big history, our team and all MMA."

Catch Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments (3:10) below:

Nurmagomedov retired from mixed martial arts back in 2020, after defeating then-interim champion Justin Gaethje to defend his title. He subsequently vacated the belt, which was later claimed by Charles Oliveira, who was handily beaten by Islam Makhachev at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi this past weekend.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov ends feud between Khamzat Chimaev and Abubakar Nurmagomedov

Following Islam Makhachev's UFC 280 victory, Khamzat Chimaev was involved in a cageside altercation with Khabib Nurmagomedov's camp, mainly his cousin Abubakar Nurmagomedov.

During Makhachev's post-fight interview, Chimaev and Abubakar were seen going back-and-forth somewhat amicably before they needed to be separated by security.

'The Eagle' has now seemingly squashed the beef between Chimaev and some members of Nurmagomedov's camp. They were even recently spotted sharing a meal together.

In a video subsequently posted online, the former lightweight champion addressed the issue, stating that the entire incident is now behind them:

"What happened yesterday does not show us well. Neither me nor Khamzat nor Abubakar. To tell the truth, we are tired of this nonsense. Here we are gathered as brothers, talked to each other, and we apologized to each other, hugged and inshallah I hope that in the future that we will only gather and fight for good reasons."

Catch Khabib Nurmagomedov's comments on the incident between Khamzat Chimaev and Abubakar Nurmagomedov below: