UFC 302: Islam Makhachev Survives Toughest Test and May Surpass Mentor Khabib

Islam Makhachev celebrates defeating Dustin PoirierLuke Hales/Getty Images

Islam Makhachev has long been living in the shadow of Khabib Nurmagomedov, but after Saturday’s UFC 302 card in Newark, he may have actually surpassed his long-time friend and mentor.

Makhachev, the UFC lightweight champion and the promotion’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, got back to action in the card’s main event. The Dagestani juggernaut was defending his belt against beloved action fighter Dustin Poirier, and despite being a gargantuan betting favorite heading into the fight, had to dig deep to finish things with a D’arce choke in the final round.

Makhachev is known for his wrestling, and he brandished that weapon early, blasting Poirier to the mat inside the first minute of the fight. He then spent the remainder of the round controlling his challenger on the ground, seemingly setting the stage for a dominant win.

But that’s not how it happened.

Poirier came alive in the second, stopping three takedowns and landing some nice leg kicks and punches before finally being taken down in the final 10 seconds of the round.

The challenger continued to offer resistance in rounds three and four, stopping multiple takedowns and fighting his way back to his feet when he was grounded. He and Makhachev both had big successes on the feet, but in the fourth, Poirier took things up a notch, slicing the champion open with an elbow that looked like it could have a big impact on the remainder of the fight.

Heading into the final round, what once looked like it would be a blowout for Makhachev was suddenly a competitive fight, and the belt was still very much up for grabs. Poirier, who stated many times before the fight that it could be his last, looked to leave everything in the cage, but Makhachev had other ideas, and shot in on the challenger’s legs. A few scrambles later, and they hit the ground, at which point Makhachev found the D’arce choke that would end things.

Islam Makhachev taps Dustin Poirier with a D’arce chokeJeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Poirier tapped, but could later be heard telling Makhachev he actually passed out during the choke.

“It’s one of my favorite chokes,” Makhachev said in his post-fight interview. “It doesn’t matter if I’m tired or what happens, I can do this choke all night.”

The win marked Makhachev’s third defense of the lightweight title, after a pair of exciting victories over former featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. It also strengthened what was already one of the best records in MMA. Unlike Nurmagomedov, who retired at 29-0, Makhachev has lost — but only once. Now 26-1 overall, he has won 14 straight fights in the Octagon, which actually puts him ahead of Nurmagomedov in terms of total UFC wins.

His resume is also comparable to Nurmagomedov’s. Both champions spent the early phases of their UFC careers fighting relative nobodies, but finally started taking on top talent when they reached title contention. For Nurmagomedov, that meant beating Conor McGregor, Poirier, and Justin Gaethje. Makhachev, meanwhile, is now riding wins over Charles Oliveira, Volkanovski, and Poirier — a run that is just as good, if not better than his mentor’s.

One way or the other, Makhachev is filling Nurmagomedov’s big shoes, and the exciting thing is that, unlike the former champ, there’s no reason to assume he’ll retire in the middle of his prime.

Nurmagomedov retired at the peak of his athletic prowess, after the death of his father and coach Abdulmanap. Makhachev seems intent on doing the opposite and is looking to set up a title reign in a second division.

Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts after his teammate Islam Makhachev defeats Dustin Poirier at UFC 302Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Shortly after his submission win over Poirier, he once again called for the opportunity to move up a division and fight for the welterweight title, which is currently in the possession of another pound-for-pound star in Leon Edwards.

“It’s my dream,” he said. “I want to fight for a second belt. I want to feel that energy again. When you defend your belt, it’s not the same. I need a new one.”

It remains to be seen if Makhachev gets his desired welterweight title shot. The champion, Edwards, is scheduled to defend his belt against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 this summer, and the winner of that fight will have deserving contenders like Shavkat Rakhmonov and Jack Della Maddalena banging on their door.

It’s not like Makhachev doesn’t have contenders to handle at lightweight, either. The No. 1-ranked Arman Tsarukyan has pretty much been guaranteed a title fight in the division, and while Makhachev has beaten him once before, both men look like completely different fighters in 2024.

Suffice it to say that the lightweight champion has options for his next fight. Whatever the future holds, however, it’s time to stop wondering if he’ll live up to Nurmagomedov’s legacy and accept that he’s well on his way to surpassing it.