Will Makhachev surpass Khabib with a victory over Tsarukyan?

WEB DESK: The current lightweight champion of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Islam Makhachev will face Arman Tsarukyan on January 18, 2025 in Inglewood, California, the UFC announced on Wednesday. With another win, Makhachev will break the record for most title defences in UFC lightweight history, begging the question, has Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protégé finally surpassed him?

COULD HE EVER?

Khabib Nurmagomedov is considered by many to be the greatest lightweight mixed martial artist of all time. After winning the title at UFC 223 in April of 2018, the Dagestani continued to impress with his wrestling pedigree, mauling each of his next three opponents. Among them were some of the biggest stars in the sport, including Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. The bout against Gaethje in October of 2020 was Khabib’s last, as the then lightweight champion called it quits on an illustrious career, making good on his promise to his mother that he would hang up the gloves since his father and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, passed away earlier that year.

But, that wouldn’t be the last the MMA world saw of Khabib. Following his retirement, Khabib coached multiple UFC fighters until he decided to walk away from the sport completely in 2023.

With Khabib’s departure, Dagestan’s claim to the lightweight title came to an end.

For about two years, which is what it took for Islam Makhachev to climb the ranks and defeat then champion, Charles Oliveira. Makhachev and Khabib grew up and trained together in Dagestan under the tutelage of Abdulmanap. The two shared a brotherly bond, which continued on after Khabib’s departure, as the former lightweight champion began cornering his close friend, guiding him to the title he once held.

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AND THE REST IS HISTORY

After taking the title from the clutches of Oliveira via an arm-triangle choke, Makhachev would go on to tie the record for most lightweight title defences. His first fight as champion came in 2023 against the then featherweight king, Alexander Volkanovski. While Makhachev won with a unanimous decision, fans were divided, many pointing to the bruised and battered visage of the Dagestani wrestler after the fight as proof of Volkanovski’s triumph. However, such is to be expected when a fighter who has demonstrated complete dominion over the octagon. None of Makhachev last three fights before his tangle with the Australian made it to the third round. Thus, the fact that Volkanovski took two rounds on two of the judges’ scorecards and secured a knockdown in the fifth, was enough for fans to question the calibre of the champion.

Makhachev would quell any disbelief later that same year, as he knocked out the featherweight champ in the very first round with a head kick followed by a flurry of hammer-fists, earning his second title defence. His third defence, and fourth title fight victory, would come against a man that Khabib had beaten while he held the belt, Dustin Poirier. It was a hard-fought fight that saw the diamond level with the champ on one scorecard, while two others had the Louisiana fighter winning a round each. However, the former interim-champion would be inundated by Makhachev’s unrelenting wrestling prowess, leading to the third title defence of the Dagestani’s career after he secured a brabo choke in the fifth and final round, forcing Dustin to tap.

Now, Makhachev stands alongside friend, training partner, and mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, lightweight fan favourite Frankie Edgar, the psychotic BJ Penn, and the always cool, calm, and collected Benson Henderson, as all five are tied for the most title defences in UFC lightweight history. But, with one more win, Makhachev will no longer stand side by side with the greats of the sport. Instead, he will be ahead of them. Or will the fans not see him in that light?

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TO SURPASS KHABIB

Makhachev faces Arman Tsarukyan on January 18, 2025 in a rematch of a bout from 2019. Despite the fact that the Dagestani beat the Armenian in the past, Tsarukyan is not the same fighter. Since their first fight, Tsarukyan has beaten both Beneil Dariush, who was seen as a strong contender for the title, and former champion Oliveira. The upcoming contest will likely be Makhachev’s toughest test to date. Yet, even with a victory, it is doubtful that Makhachev will surpass Khabib in the eyes of millions worldwide.

Khabib’s legacy is multi-faceted, with his four championship victories only constituting a single strand of his Papakha. The Dagestani’s twelve wins in the division are another, but the true meat of his claim to greatness is derived from the way in which he won each of those fights.

Across the 38 rounds he partook in, Khabib only lost two. The first came against Conor McGregor. After losing round two 10-8 unanimously, all three judges gave the third to the notorious one, only for him to be submitted via a neck crack a few minutes later in the fourth. The second round Khabib lost came against Gaethje. Khabib didn’t do much in the opening round against the American dubbed the highlight, being careful to not get caught in the wild and powerful swings that had put 20 men to sleep in the past. But, once he was settled, Khabib made short work of Gaethje, submitting the American with a triangle choke in the second round.

Utter dominance, is how many would describe Khabib’s career. So, can does Makhachev stack up?

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WIN AGAIN AND AGAIN

With his victory over Poirier, Makhachev broke the record for the longest winning streak in the lightweight division with 13 wins, one more than his compatriot. And with one more title defence, he will surpass Khabib in yet another lane. But, the fans won’t see it that way. If Makhachev is victorious in January, two of his four title defences will have come from rematches. Additionally, the current champ has lost before. Early in his career, Makhachev was knocked out by Adriano Martino in the first round of their bout, with a wild but effective right hook. In contrast, throughout his career, Khabib never bled once inside the octagon.

However, even a legacy has incredible as Khabib’s can be eclipsed with time and names. Each victory that Makhachev gets sees him build upon his records. Each victory sees him add another contender onto his already unbelievable record. Each victory reminds fans that as the sport continues to evolve, the same man remains at the top.

Each victory makes Makhachev’s claim to being the greatest lightweight more undeniable. But that could all end this coming January. Tsarukyan, with momentum on his side, and the lustre of that championship belt in his mind, could very well win and begin writing his own story.

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