Khabib Nurmagomedov, known as one of the greatest lightweight fighters in history, is making a comeback in a different role. Following his retirement from MMA in 2020 due to his father’s passing, Nurmagomedov shifted his focus to coaching to honor his father’s legacy. While he recently stepped back from coaching, he is set to return this weekend as a cornerman for his friend and teammate Islam Makhachev’s lightweight title defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in Newark, NJ.
Makhachev has confirmed that Nurmagomedov will be in his corner and expressed his joy at having him there as a top corner coach, friend, and brother. The last time Nurmagomedov was in Makhachev’s corner was during his title-winning fight against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. Nurmagomedov even assisted Makhachev in creating a promotional video for a potential pound-for-pound showdown with Alexander Volkanovski.
