Islam Makhachev has confirmed mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov will not be in his corner when he faces Alexander Volkanovski.
Makhachev was crowned the 155lb champion after choking out Charles Oliveira in their clash for the vacant belt last year. The Russian star's progress has been influenced by former undefeated champion Nurmagomedov who retired from the UFC in 2020 with an untarnished record which included wins over the likes of Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier.
This month, it was confirmed Nurmagomedov would be taking a step back from MMA entirely just two years on from his retirement from the cage. And according to Fox Sports, Makhachev has confirmed Nurmagomedov will play no part in his huge clash with Volkanovski which is set for UFC 284 on February 12.
He later explained what life will be like without his long-term guide but has refused to let it play any detrimental part to his preparations. "Of course, it’s going to be different, but I’ve already fought without him a couple of times. And he cannot always be with me," he said.
"Of course, it’s very good when he is here. I always like when he is with me because he knows all the games being played. He knows what you need for the fight, for the weight cut, you don’t have to worry about any of this. It’s always good when you have someone as experienced as him.
"You don’t have to spend your energy thinking about other things. But I understand that he has to spend more time with his family. Because with all the fighting, the training, his family miss him too. Even though he is retired he’s still travelling a lot. That’s why I understand (the decision)."
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Nurmagomedov was heavily involved in the organisation of Makhachev's training camp for his title win last year and was pictured amid jubilant scenes when his protege had his hand raised. It was always the intention of Nurmagomedov to pass the torch to Makhachev to handle his own career when he was able to take a step back.
However Makhachev's rival Volkanovski is not accepting the UFC legend's absence as a viable excuse if he is to steal the crown and become double-champion. He said: They better not use it as an excuse once this is all done. At the end of the day, Makhachev will prepare and we’re going to fight.
“He doesn’t need someone to hold his hand. Doesn’t need someone to be in there with him. That’s not a real fighter. So when my hand gets raised, that better not come up. Having Khabib in his corner has certainly helped in many ways. Has seen him get certain treatment. Did he have to go through what I did to get a title shot? Maybe not."
