Khabib Nurmagomedov politely declined Islam Makhachev' offer of the UFC lightweight belt after his win over Charles Oliveira in Abu Dhabi last night.
The legendary former lightweight champion's dad Abdulmanap, who passed away in 2020, coached both men through their early careers. And Makhachev was paying tribute to both his teammate and his ex-coach when he removed his lightweight title and handed it to Nurmagomedov, who held the belt for a brief moment before ultimately returning the belt.
Makhachev dominated Charles Oliveira to win the vacant lightweight title almost two years to the day after Nurmagomedov had given it up when he retired from the sport. And in his post-fight interview he dedicated the victory to Abdulmanap, who he says told him in his youth that he would be champion.
