Newly crowned lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has penned an emotional message to his former coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, thanking him for all his tireless work before his passing.
UFC 280’s main-event saw former champion Charles Oliveira face Islam Makhachev for the vacant 155lb strap.
Makhachev, with Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner, dominated from the beginning. The Russian fighter answered all of the questions about his stand-up game compared to the Brazilian’s, dropping Oliveira with a vicious hook before locking in a second-round submission for the victory.
The celebrations were joyous amongst Makhachev and his team, with the champ praising both Khabib Nurmagomedov and the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov during his post-fight octagon interview.
Now, days out from his historic first title win, Islam Makhachev took to Instagram to further express his gratitude to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. The 155lb champ thanked the legendary coach for believing in him. He further stated that his victory would have meant more if his late coach was by his side.
Translated to English via Google Translate, the post reads:
“My coach was the first to believe in me when I first came to the gym and did not even think of becoming a fighter. I wasn’t special, I wasn’t different from the rest and throughout my career he believed in me and told me that I would be a champion, that I just needed to practice. And today, when I became a champion, I would really like to put this belt on my coach, in the octagon. If you were by my side, it would have been a more meaningful victory for me. May the Almighty grant you the highest rank of Paradise coach”
Paul Felder praises the underrated stand-up game of Islam Makhachev
Former UFC fighter Paul Felder believes Islam Makhachev’s striking isn’t given enough credit, following his impressive performance against Charles Oliveira.
While many consider the Makhachev’s wrestling and grappling to be the best in the division, there were questions as to whether Makhachev would be able to survive on the feet against someone like Oliveira. According to Felder, the 31-year-old silenced his doubters and believes ‘Do Bronx’ underestimated the his ability:
“This is a guy you always say, ‘Oh well, his kickboxing, oh well he’s not quite there.’ He hurt Oliveira a few times. Which ended the exchange. He ended up knocking him down, ended up getting on top, passing to that arm-triangle and getting that submission. But it all started with his hands which I think he just doesn’t get enough credit and hopefully people will start recognizing that more.”
Following Makhachev’s stunning victory, his first title defense was also confirmed. Featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski entered the octagon for the first face-off between the two, teasing a bout for 2023.
Catch Paul Felder’s UFC 280 reactions here: