Three teammates and training partners. Same weight class. Two of them are first cousins. I’m not sure if Abdulmanap ever predicted Usman would become LW champ after Makhachev but he predicted accurately that Khabib and then Makhachev would be become UFC LW champs before they did so. Javier Mendez predicted on record that all three fighters would become champions before they did so.
From 2008 to 2020 Khabib went 29-0 and defended the UFC title 3x.
From 2010 to 2023 Makhachev has gone 25-1 and defended the UFC title 2x.
From 2017 to 2023 Usman has gone 18-0 and defended the Bellator title 2x.
For three teammates (two of them relatives) to dominate the deepest weight class in the sport and go 73-1 over fifteen years is a ridiculously impressive feat.
Thing is Islam is still only 31 and wants to go after the WW title as well and Usman is only 25.
Think we ever see one team dominate a weight class to this degree again?
No… Khabib is the best fighter in the sports history, his Dad was the best coach in MMA history, and Eagles are the best team in MMA history. People will be crying about it for years.
They are way, way ahead of the pack technique and training-wise, there is a lot more than just 3 of them as well, and this legacy of fighters may go on to dominate longest span of time in MMA history by a considerable margin.
Lol what? Leon Edwards is probably the worst WW champion in the last decade, MW is meh, LHW is a mess. Now its about whos popular to fight for a title and not who’s actually good
Smaller weight divisions were around once the UFC absorbed the WEC in 2010, even then the WEC was amazing.
The events these days are way more watered down than they once were. The free cards are nice, but you’re spending thousands a year for honestly a handful of good cards a year.
I guess you had to be around back then to appreciate what you had.
Thats why I hated this fight. A short notice Volk loss means he will probably never fight Islam for the belt, after that razor close decision and an Islam win means he beat a 45er twice.
Oh please. Volkanovski is as dangerous a fight as any LW would be. A GOAT from the weight below moving up is always gonna be just as dangerous a fight as a random #1 contender from the higher weight class. Plus Islam only fought Volk a 2nd time because the #1 contender LW pulled out the week before the fight.
Islam was ready to fight 13-1 in his last 14 Charles or he was gonna fight the FW GOAT or anyone else put in there.
You water cooler conversation means nothing. UFC is killing it and way more popular worldwide than it was a decade ago.
Do you think Islam sticks around longer? Do you think he breaks the lightweight record or out of respect to Khabib? He stops at three and moves to welterweight?
Khabib and Islam both want him to break Khabibs record and of course he will, he’ll probably win the WW title and defend there as well. He still isn’t as good as Khabib though.
