Islam Makhachev explains why Dagestani teammates will never fight

Islam Makhachev has guaranteed that his Dagestani teammates will never face each other in the octagon, citing the deep brotherhood forged through years of training together under Khabib Nurmagomedov's guidance.

Speaking on a podcast with UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson, the reigning welterweight champion emphasized the unbreakable bonds within the tight-knit squad. Makhachev, who is 28–1, explained that fighters like lightweights Magomed Zaynukov (9–0) and Usman Nurmagomedov (22–0) regularly train at each other's camps to sharpen their skills—a practice incompatible with competing against one another. Zaynukov recently made his UFC debut after winning a contract on Dana White's Contender Series, while Usman, Khabib's cousin, is a free agent with mounting UFC speculation following his Professional Fighters League tenure.

"We never fight, of course," Makhachev told Johnson. "How are you going to fight, bro, if you're training many years together? It's like friends; we're all brothers. It's not possible for our teammates to fight each other." He also noted that Khabib mentored him from day one and remains an irreplaceable figure—someone he could never imagine facing, regardless of circumstance.

The dynamic reflects a broader philosophy within the Dagestani camp: loyalty and collective growth trump competitive opportunity. Even as Makhachev pursues his own career goals, including a welterweight title defense against Ian Garry (17–1) at UFC 330 on August 15 in Philadelphia, he sees his teammates' success as inseparable from his own. This family-first ethos, rooted in shared wrestling roots and cultural values, has become a defining characteristic of one of MMA's most cohesive training camps.