Khabib Nurmagomedov is taking his experience in the octagon with him into coaching ahead of one of the biggest fights of the year.
The former lightweight champion had a back-and-forth brawl with Dustin Poirier back in 2019, winning by submission in the third round. And is now training the current title holder Islam Makhachev to hopefully get the same result at UFC 302.
When the Russian hung up his gloves in 2020 he handed back the belt and allowed for others to battle it out for the thron. But he soon returned it to Dagestan as he cornered Makhachev to a stunning win two years later against Charles Oliveira in the same venue as his final outing.
Khabib Nurmagomedov breaks down Dustin Poirier ahead of UFC 302
Makhachev was always a part of Nurmagomedov’s fight camps during his legendary career and UFC 242 against Poirier was no different. The pair game-planned for how to stifle the American, ultimately landing an impressive victory to unify the division.
Now as a coach, Nurmagomedov has used his 12 minutes of in-competition experience with Poirier to add to such a plan. The 35-year-old has climbed back to world title contention five years after his first undisputed shot at the Russian, even losing another effort in 2021 against Oliveira.
“Many people underestimate Dustin Poirier,” Nurmagomedov said in the second episode of his UFC 302 fight camp series on his YouTube channel.
“I personally fought him, spent three rounds and over 10 minutes with him, and I have a good sense of his strengths and weaknesses. We are working hard on these aspects.”
Khabib Nurmagomedov hails Dustin Poirier as ‘seasoned warrior’ ahead of Islam Makhachev fight
Despite winning their initial meeting and feeling comfortable in his teammate’s ability to do the same, there is a clear respect for Poirier from Nurmagomedov. The pair shared an emotional post-fight, and it is clear that the former champion feels strongly about his former rival’s skills and toughness.
“Dustin Poirier is very experienced,” Nurmagomedov continued. “He’s been in many battles already. Yes, he has lost, but he also has many victories in the UFC, more than 22 or 23 wins. Using our slang, he is a seasoned warrior. You can’t take him lightly.”
This will be fight number 39 for ‘The Diamond’, after 15 years as a professional, and his third for the undisputed lightweight gold. He has previously won the interim title and also took on Justin Gaethje for the BMF belt, which he lost last summer.
Khabib Nurmagomedov shows off striking in new training footage
It’s not just Makhachev who is getting in shape during UFC 302 training camp. Nurmagomedov has also shared a video of himself doing pushups and punching the heavy bag, exciting fans about a potential return to action.
He retired from the sport at the top of his game in 2020 after beating Gaethje when his mother asked him to take time away to focus on his family. Then at the start of 2023, he appeared to quit all involvement in coaching and promoting with a series of social media posts.
But fans are wondering if he has finally thawed on his feelings about making one more walk, with his video captioned: “Personal example is the best motivation. I love this energy.”