"Thought he was in jail", "It's over for Dustin" - Fans react to Khabib Nurmagomedov joining Islam Makhachev in training camp 15 days out from UFC 302

Fans reacted to Khabib Nurmagomedov being seen training with Islam Makhachev ahead of the latter's upcoming title defense.

On June 1, Makhachev looks to extend his lightweight title reign when he headlines UFC 302 inside the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. To do so, the Russian powerhouse must get through number four-ranked Dustin Poirier, who has the experience and fighting style to pull off an upset.

Heading into UFC 302, Nurmagomedov has been training with Makhachev. 'The Eagle' used to work closely with the UFC lightweight king before taking time away from MMA to focus on his family.

Earlier today, Nurmagomedov posted a photo on Instagram of his training group featuring several UFC fighters, including Belal Muhammad, Frankie Edgar, Ignacio Bahamondes, Nick Catone, and Usman Nurmagomedov.

Fans took to the Instagram comment section of Nurmagomedov's post and shared their reactions to him training with Makhachev:

"It's over for Dustin"

"Thought he was in jail"

"Now Dustin is cooked"

"Dustin is f*cked"

Instagram comments

Makhachev is riding a 13-fight win streak, including his last three outings for the UFC lightweight title. The 32-year-old Russian last fought in October 2023, defeating Alexander Volkanovski by first-round knockout in a rematch the latter accepted on short notice.

Meanwhile, Poirier is also coming off an impressive win inside the distance. On March 9, 'The Diamond' silenced the calls for retirement with a second-round knockout win against Benoit Saint-Denis.

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Khabib Nurmagomedov has experience against Dustin Poirier to assist Islam Makhachev

Khabib Nurmagomedov has helped coach and train Islam Makhachev throughout their respective careers. Therefore, Nurmagomedov's appearance in Makhachev's UFC 302 training camp might not be a massive game-changer, but 'The Eagle' does have experience fighting Dustin Poirier.

In September 2019, Poirier utilized his interim lightweight title won against Max Holloway to secure an undisputed championship fight against 'The Eagle.' Unfortunately for 'The Diamond,' Nurmagomedov's grappling proved too much, leading to a third-round rear-naked choke.

At UFC 302, Poirier hopes to negate Makahchev's grappling and become the new lightweight champion. With that said, the Russian king has bettered his striking and showed that he shouldn't be underestimated on the feet.