Nurmagomedov warns Makhachev haters to 'prepare your excuses'

For years Khabib Nurmagomedov was one of the best fighters at 155 pounds. When he retired from the sport of mixed martial arts many thought it was premature and that he could still maintain his top position in the UFC. Nurmagomedov stepped away from fighting to keep a promise to his mother but didn’t leave the sport altogether. He has now stepped into the shoes of his father and can be found coaching the next generation of possible champions. One man who is looking to step into the shoes that Nurmagomedov left behind is Islam Makhachev.

Makhachev will be the next man to fight for the title when he takes on former champion Charles Oliveira. The vacant title is up for grabs at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi but in many people’s eyes, Oliveira is still the champion. He lost his title due to missing weight his last time out when he faced Justin Gaethje. He defeated Gaethje, but must now fight again to win back his belt. Oliveira has not lost a bout since 2017 but Numragomeodov is confident in his pupil that the streak ends on October 22.

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“Just goosebumps waiting. @islam_makhachev is coming out for this fight against the best fighter at the moment in UFC.
Oliveira is the best fighter of 2022,” Nurmagomedov wrote via translate. “He is one of the best regardless of the weight category, he also goes on a 12-win streak in the UFC. This fight will answer all questions. Someone reads history, and someone writes it. Prepare your excuses, we aim to win Oliveira ahead of schedule InshaAllah.”

Much like Oliveira, Makhachev’s fight resume is quite impressive. He has only lost once in his career and that was back in 2015, since then, he has strung together ten wins, but none of which were top five opponents. On the flip side, Oliveria has been fighting only top five for the past two years.

UFC 280 goes down on October 22 live from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The entire fight card to date is as follows: