Khabib Nurmagomedov was clearly ecstatic that his best friend (and top student) Islam Makhachev won the UFC lightweight title by submitting Charles Oliveira in the UFC 280 pay-per-view (PPV) main event last weekend on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.
Or maybe he was just happy his $1 million investment didn’t go to waste.
Either way, “The Eagle” and the rest of Team Makhachev went bananas after Islam sunk in a picture-perfect arm-triangle choke midway through the second stanza, forcing a tap from the Brazilian and improving Makhachev’s overall record to 23-1 with 11 submissions.
“Last couple of years, I told you guys Islam Makhachev is the best fighter,” Nurmagomedov said after the fight. “Not in lightweight — he’s the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter right now, today. Now is our plan: fly all the way to Australia and fight with pound-for-pound king, Volkanovski.”
The promotion is expected to greenlight a champion vs. champion “super fight” between Makhachev and reigning featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski as part of the upcoming UFC 284 event next Feb. in Perth with pound-for-pound bragging rights up for grabs.
That potential victory lap could make their UFC 280 celebration look like a quiet day at the office.