{"id":39877,"date":"2026-08-13T04:12:42","date_gmt":"2026-08-13T04:12:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherdog.com\/news\/news\/Islam-Makhachev-explains-why-Dagestani-teammates-will-never-fight-202346"},"modified":"2026-08-13T04:12:42","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T04:12:42","slug":"islam-makhachev-explains-why-dagestani-teammates-will-never-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/islam-makhachev-explains-why-dagestani-teammates-will-never-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"Islam Makhachev explains why Dagestani teammates will never fight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
<\/div>\n

Islam
\nMakhachev<\/a>\u2019s team has strong camaraderie.<\/p>\n

With Khabib
\nNurmagomedov<\/a> at the helm, the Dagestani squad is known for
\ntheir close bond. Nurmagomedov, Makhachev and their teammates
\nconsider each other \u201cbrothers.\u201d With Magomed
\nZaynukov<\/a> recently making a successful
\nUltimate Fighting Championship<\/a> debut and Khabib\u2019s cousin,
\nUsman
\nNurmagomedov<\/a>, potentially headed to the UFC, there\u2019s no chance
\nof them fighting one another.<\/p>\n

\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u2018We\u2019re all brothers\u2019: Islam Makhachev opens up about bond
\nwithin Dagestani team<\/h2>\n

Makhachev guarantees that lightweights Zaynukov and Usman, or any
\nof their other teammates, will never fight each other. The former
\nlightweight champ and reigning welterweight king can\u2019t even fathom
\nthe idea of fighting his teammates, having essentially grown up
\ntogether.<\/p>\n

Makhachev was still climbing the rankings when Khabib was the UFC
\nlightweight champion. Regardless, Makhachev could never imagine
\nfighting \u201cThe Eagle,\u201d who has been guiding him from the day he
\nstarted training.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe never fight, of course,\u201d Makhachev told UFC Hall of Famer
\nDemetrious
\nJohnson<\/a>. \u201cHow are you going to fight, bro, if you\u2019re training
\nmany years together? \u2018Chanco\u2019 just came to Usman\u2019s camp to help
\nhim, give him good rounds. Usman go to his camp to help him. How
\nare they gonna fight each other? Also for myself, when Khabib
\nbecame champion. When I began this sport, Khabib helped me from the
\nfirst day. How are you gonna fight each other? It\u2019s like friends;
\nwe\u2019re all brothers. It\u2019s not possible for our teammates to fight
\neach other.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zaynukov (9-0) won his contract on
\nDana White\u2019s Contender Series<\/a> last year before making his
\nOctagon debut this past July. Fellow 155-pound teammate Usman
\nNurmagomedov<\/a> (22-0) exhausted his contract with the
\nProfessional Fighters League<\/a> and is now a free agent, with
\nrumors of a UFC move gathering momentum.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Makhachev (28-1) is scheduled to defend his welterweight
\ntitle against Ian Garry<\/a>
\n(17-1) at UFC
\n330<\/a> on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.<\/p>\n