‘Khabib Is Khabib’: Ex-UFC Star Claims Islam Makhachev Could Win 3 Divisions and Still Fall Short

With UFC 330 fast approaching, Islam Makhachev is once again sitting at the center of the MMA conversation. While his first welterweight title defense against Ian Machado Garry has already stirred plenty of noise, from the Dagestan vs. Ireland storyline to the usual questions surrounding Makhachev’s growing legacy, one question refuses to go away: Can the mentee transcend the mentor?  

Former UFC middleweight and light heavyweight contender Paul Craig, like many pundits before him, strongly disagrees. In fact, Craig believes Makhachev could conquer three divisions and still find himself playing second fiddle to his longtime mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov! 

Paul Craig Explains Why Islam Makhachev May Never Catch His Mentor

There is something almost unfair about comparing Makhachev to his buddy and mentor. On paper, the reigning welterweight champion has a chance to build a more impressive resume. He has rounded up the lightweight division, ruling the roost with an iron fist before capturing the belt at 170.

The way he dismantled former champion Jack Della Maddalena, a second move up to middleweight couldn’t be surprising. If he eventually becomes a champion in three divisions, first in UFC’s history, the numbers would be difficult for anyone to dismiss. Craig, however, believes numbers only tell half the story.

“Statistically, he's brilliant,” Craig said. “But culturally, Khabib wins every single day of the week, and I don't think Islam's ever going to be that guy.” That word, right there (culturally), is really the heart of the Scottman’s argument.

“The Eagle” wasn’t simply a champion who kept winning and eventually retired undefeated. Somewhere along the way, he became bigger than the belt around his waist and his unblemished 29-0 track record. 

In fact, his rivalry with Conor McGregor became one of the defining stories in UFC history, and the infamous bus incident, the animosity between their camps, and the chaos that followed turned UFC 229 into something bigger than a fight.

Then came the actual fight. Nurmagomedov mauled McGregor over four rounds before submitting him in the fourth, but the fight became only one part of the mythology. His post-fight confrontation with the Irishman’s team turned an already enormous event into one of the most unforgettable nights the sport has ever seen.

Taking all these into consideration, Craig doesn't believe Islam can manufacture something similar. “I think if Islam goes on and becomes a three-way division champion, I don't think it matters. Khabib is Khabib.”

Islam May Build the Greater Resume, But Khabib Built a Movement

This is where the FightLuck panel’s comparison becomes much more interesting than simply counting championships.

Makhachev is arguably the more polished version of the Dagestani blueprint, perhaps more well-rounded than his mentor, Nurmagomedov. His striking has developed tremendously, his wrestling ever more dangerous, all while his ability to impose his will on opponents has made him one of the most complete fighters of his generation, but the torchbearer of the Dagestani crew had something that cannot be trained. Nurmagomedov had presence.

As one of Craig’s co-panelists recalled, during Nurmagomedov’s fight weeks, particularly in Abu Dhabi, the atmosphere around him was almost strange. He could reportedly pull out of a press conference and have an entire room simply accept it. Fans weren’t just following his fights; they were following the man, his inspiring story that forged “The Eagle.” 

Not to mention, his relationship with his late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, added another deeply human layer. The 37-year-old had always spoken about fulfilling his father’s vision, and after Abdulmanap’s untimely death, the former lightweight ultimately chose to walk away from the sport in the absence of his father in his corner. 

The Topic of Legacy

Jon Jones (28-1-0), Georges St-Pierre (26-2-0), and Demetrious Johnson (27-3-1) all etched their names in the sport’s history as all-time greats. Nurmagomedov’s story was different.  

That said, Makhachev may ultimately surpass him statistically. He may win more championships, fight longer, and may even defeat a broader collection of elite opponents. But legacy goes way beyond stats.

That's exactly why the debate between the two feels less like a comparison between two fighters and more like a question of what fans actually remember.

Makhachev could become the greatest. Nurmagomedov, however, may remain the greater cultural phenomenon, and as Craig sees it, that distinction could keep the student chasing the master forever.