The top two lightweight fighters in UFC history both came out of the same gym.
Khabib Nurmagomedov came first, amassing a legendary 29-0 record before retiring in 2020.
Since then, Islam Makhachev, his teammate, has established himself as the pound-for-pound #1, becoming the most dominant 155lb champion the UFC has ever seen.
- LATEST NEWS: Islam Makhachev interested in boxing move having already received offer from Turki Alalshikh
Has Islam Makhachev’s UFC run surpassed Khabib Nurmagomedov’s?
Which do you rate higher? Undefeated or two-weight? Let us know in the comments.
Islam Makhachev vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov sparring footage resurfaces
MMA fans have always wondered what would happen if Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov had fought each other inside the Octagon.
No one really knows, and there is not much sparring footage to help people make their minds up on the fantasy matchup.
On Tuesday, a clip from around a decade ago was shared on social media, where it quickly went viral.
It showed Makhachev and Nurmagomedov having a striking-only spar at American Kickboxing Academy [AKA] in San Jose, California.
The current king of MMA used lots of kicks, while Nurmagomedov turned pressure into a weapon during the intriguing two-minute video that fascinated fans.
⬇️ Check it out. ⬇️
🚨 Rare video: Islam Makhachev and Khabib striking only sparring in AKA gym.
Islam was using lots of kicks, while Khabib’s main weapon was pressure 👀 pic.twitter.com/WfqWwYNvlY
— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) August 4, 2026
What’s next for Islam Makhachev?
Islam Makhachev surpassed his teammate by becoming a two-weight UFC champion last year.
The 34-year-old outpointed Jack Della Maddalena to take his welterweight title at UFC 322 in November.
Makhachev will defend his 170lb strap for the first time in the main event of UFC 330 on August 15.
Khabib Nurmagomedov will be in his corner when he takes on Ian Machado Garry at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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