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Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev are inseparable. They are best friends who fulfilled their dream of reaching the top of the UFC thanks to the plan of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, 'The Eagle's' father. First it was Khabib who won the lightweight belt, and once he retired it was Islam who took over and surpassed the master, achieving the double belt in lightweight and welterweight. Although they support each other, it is inevitable to compare their successes, and the latest to do so was Joe Rogan.
The UFC's most high-profile commentator also runs the world's most listened to podcast - 'The Joe Rogan Experience' - and it was there that he opted for Makhachev because of everything he has achieved in recent times. In terms of MMA, Khabib and Islam are the two most prestigious fighters from Dagestan, and in the UFC there are few who can match their record and track record
Islam is on another level, on a higher level
"Khabib is undoubtedly one of the greatest of all time. But the difference between Khabib and Islam is that Islam is an elite boxer in the stand-up fight. Khabib has very good stand-up fighting, but Makhachev knocked out Volkanovski with a head kick. Khabib doesn't have that in his repertoire. Islam is on another level, on another level. He can knock you out standing up, on the ground, he can submit you," Rogan said.
According to him, Makhachev is the improved version of Khabib, and it is not surprising considering that 'The Eagle' has remained by his side since he confirmed his retirement. When his father died, he became the mentor and coach of the gym, hence he does not care about comparisons and is happy with everything Islam is achieving, who today is welterweight monarch and number one in the pound-for-pound ranking.
Khabib and Makhachev, so similar yet so different
When 'The Eagle' was king of the UFC, everyone knew what he was going to do, but they couldn't stop him. In the striking he might suffer, as he didn't have KO power, but he did have good defense that prevented his opponents from connecting clearly. Later, once he got the takedown it was game over. In fact, Khabib's grappling could be considered the best in history, above that of Makhachev.
However, if Islam has something that 'The Eagle' did not have, it is that he is unpredictable, because he does have that KO power that allows him to dominate his opponents in whatever field is necessary. Makhachev's muay thai is top-notch, to the point of beating opponents such as Volkanovski or Jack Della Maddalena. The key is that his opponents are always alert in case he tries to take them down, which allows him to have the element of surprise when they least expect it.
Rather than saying whether one is worse than the other, since they don't like it, what could be said is that Khabib was better at grappling, but Makhachev is more complete. The legacy of both is already UFC history, and possibly both are in the company's all-time top 10 considering what they have achieved, who they have done it against and the impact they have had on the sport.