Long before Islam Makhachev became a two-division UFC champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov was already convinced his teammate was special. In behind-the-scenes footage from 2018, Nurmagomedov issued a blunt warning ahead of Makhachev’s fight with Gleison Tibau.The throwback footage, shared by filmmaker Will Harris as part of Anatomy of a Fighter, captured Nurmagomedov speaking about Makhachev before the Brazilian veteran faced him. Makhachev was still developing his reputation at the time. But Nurmagomedov believed he was already operating at a completely different level.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s warning about Islam Makhachev came true against Gleison Tibau
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s comment came ahead of Islam Makhachev’s fifth UFC appearance. The Russian star was already highly respected for his wrestling and grappling. He also knew Makhachev better than most. The two trained together under Khabib’s late father and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.That made Nurmagomedov’s prediction particularly interesting.Gleison Tibau was an experienced UFC veteran. He had fought some of the biggest names in the lightweight division. For a young Makhachev, the matchup represented another important step in his UFC career.Nurmagomedov, however, did not appear concerned.“Sorry Tibau, but Islam is different level, be careful brother”, he said in the viral clip.The message was simple. Nurmagomedov believed Makhachev’s skills were too advanced for Tibau.Makhachev then provided an emphatic answer inside the Octagon.At UFC 220, he stopped Tibau in just 57 seconds of the first round. The result was a knockout win and another major step forward in his career.At that stage, few could have known how far Makhachev would eventually go. The lightweight contender later became one of the most dominant fighters in UFC history.Makhachev won the vacant UFC lightweight championship at UFC 280 in 2022. He submitted Charles Oliveira to capture the title. He then successfully defended it four times.His success eventually took him into a second weight division.Makhachev moved up to welterweight and captured another UFC championship by defeating Jack Della Maddalena. He later defended the welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330.His run also saw him break the UFC record for consecutive victories. His winning streak reached 17 fights, moving him past Anderson Silva’s previous mark of 16 consecutive UFC wins.Nurmagomedov has remained one of Makhachev’s biggest supporters throughout the journey.After Makhachev reached the record, Khabib praised his longtime friend and teammate on social media.“There is a word : Achievement. In sport it has a great significance, Islam and the word Achievement are synonyms)))) he achieved great heights in this sport, broke the record of series wins in UFC history, and is rightfully one of the best athletes to ever enter the octagon. May the Almighty keep you well, brother”, he wrote.Another famous Khabib prediction also emerged from 2019. During UFC 242 fight week, he placed his lightweight championship belt in front of Makhachev and called him the “Future UFC champ.”At the time, Makhachev was still a rising contender.Today, those old clips carry a different meaning.Years later, Makhachev’s championships, record-breaking winning streak and continued dominance have made those words look remarkably accurate.
