Khabib Nurmagomedov and current UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev share a notable common opponent in Dustin Poirier. Both fighters secured submission victories over “The Diamond” during their respective UFC careers.
Khabib defeated Poirier at UFC 242 in September 2019, winning via submission in a dominant performance. Makhachev’s most recent title defense also came against Poirier, ending with a fifth-round submission. Reflecting on these encounters, “The Eagle” admitted that fighting Poirier himself was much easier than cornering Makhachev against him.
“Inside the cage was much better,” Nurmagomedov told ESPN in a recent interview. “When I was inside, I didn’t have to talk. Only a couple of times I spoke with him. I remember during my fight with Dustin, after the first round, I asked him how he felt, and he said, ‘Nothing, you win the first round.’”
Nurmagomedov explained that coaching from the outside presented an entirely different challenge.
“When I was outside with Islam, for almost 25 minutes I was just talking. I couldn’t do anything. To be honest, I don’t like this. But it was an amazing fight—an amazing finish in the fifth round and a very good experience for Islam.”
Coach Javier Mendez also weighed in, calling Poirier the toughest opponent Makhachev has faced to date.
