Islam Makhachev steps into the UFC 330 main event on Saturday carrying a record that has drawn direct comparisons to his Hall of Fame coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov. According to CBS Sports, Makhachev goes into his welterweight title defense against Ian Machado Garry with 29 professional fights to his name — the exact number Nurmagomedov had when he retired undefeated from active competition.
The fight marks Makhachev’s first defense of the welterweight championship he claimed from Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322. Before moving up to welterweight, he held the lightweight title, winning it at UFC 280 and successfully defending it four times.
Two Champions, One Division Apart
Nurmagomedov retired with a 29-0 record while holding the UFC lightweight championship, a decision shaped by the death of his father, Abdulmanap. CBS Sports reports that Abdulmanap had wanted his son to reach 30-0, but Nurmagomedov honored a promise to his mother not to fight without him. That abrupt end, combined with total dominance inside the Octagon, turned Nurmagomedov into something of a mythological figure in MMA.
Makhachev shares deep roots with that story. He trained under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov and has credited both father and son with shaping his career, with Abdulmanap telling a young Makhachev that consistent hard work would make him champion.
The One Blemish on Makhachev’s Record
The clearest difference between the two fighters is a single loss. In just his second UFC appearance, the 13th fight of his professional career, Makhachev was knocked out by Adriano Martins. Context matters here. CBS Sports notes that Martins has gone 1-6 since that result, lending weight to the view that the defeat was an anomaly rather than a true measure of Makhachev’s level. Still, it is a mark that never appeared on Nurmagomedov’s record.
Nurmagomedov completed 13 UFC fights without a blemish of any kind, a standard Makhachev cannot match on paper.
Where the Debate Stands Now
CBS Sports frames the wider question plainly: has Makhachev already surpassed his mentor in the eyes of some MMA fans, or does the undefeated legacy remain out of reach? His current run of championship dominance spanning two weight classes puts him in a comparable position of power at the top of the sport. The answer may depend on how Saturday night unfolds.
Makhachev defends against Garry, a rising contender, with his welterweight reign still in its early stages. A win would add another chapter to a run that has already brought him closer to Nurmagomedov’s legacy than almost any fighter could claim.
This report is based on a single source, cbssports.com, and has not been independently verified.
