Islam Makhachev's Blind Faith In 'Older Brother' Khabib: 'If He Told Me To Stop Fighting...'

Islam Makhachev, who clinched the Welterweight Championship title on Sunday by defeating Jack Della Maddalena to become UFC’s latest two-division champion, opened up on his bond with the legendary Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Khabib celebrated Makhachev’s record-levelling win by lifting him up on his shoulders in an emotional moment as the fighter from Dagestan fulfilled a dream.

“Khabib is like my older brother. If he told me, for example, ‘ Hey, you have to stop tomorrow. No More fighting’ I will listen,” he said.

Following the landmark triumph, UFC boss Dana White recalled Khabib’s father’s prediction about the future dominance of his son and newly-crowned double title-holder Makhachev.

White revealed that Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Khabib’s father, promised

him that both Khabib and Islam would become UFC champions.

Following his win, Makhachev urged USA President Donald Trump to invite him to the UFC event scheduled to be held at the Washington DC monument next year.

After vacating the lightweight crown to move up a weight class, Makhachev dominated his Australian opponent for 25 minutes with his formidable grappling technique, securing his 16th consecutive UFC victory.

The 34-year-old began by weakening his 29-year-old adversary with calf kicks, followed by relentless wrestling. Della Maddalena struggled to defend himself, spending extended periods on the mat under submission threats and intense pressure.

All three judges scored the contest 50-45, making Makhachev the 11th fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two different weight classes.

Makhachev’s first and only professional loss occurred on 3 October 2015 at UFC 192, where he was knocked out in the first round by Adriano Martins. Since then, his resurgence in the ring has been extraordinary.

Makhachev’s victory extended his winning streak to 16, matching Anderson Silva’s record for the longest win streak in UFC history. He also holds the record for the most successful title defences and the most title fight wins in lightweight history.