Nurmagomedov Reflects on Poirier Fight, Makhachev’s Growth Ahead of UFC 311

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Khabib Nurmagomedov, the retired UFC lightweight champion, recently shared insights into his experiences both fighting Dustin Poirier and coaching Islam Makhachev during his title defense against the same opponent. Nurmagomedov, who submitted Poirier at UFC 242 in 2019, compared the challenges of being inside the cage to cornering Makhachev at UFC 302 in 2024.

“Outside and inside the cage? Inside was much better,” Nurmagomedov told ESPN MMA. “When I was inside, I don’t have to talk. Only a couple of times I talked with him. But when I was outside with Islam, like, almost 25 minutes I was just talking. I cannot do nothing. I don’t like this, to be honest, but it was an amazing fight.”

Nurmagomedov recalled a moment during his fight with Poirier when he asked the Louisiana native how he felt after the first round. Poirier responded, “Nothing, you win first round.” The Dagestani fighter admitted that cornering Makhachev during his grueling five-round battle with Poirier was more taxing than his own fight.

Coach Javier Mendez described Poirier as Makhachev’s toughest opponent to date. The fight, which ended with a fifth-round submission, was a nominee for the 2024 Fight of the Year. Nurmagomedov believes the experience will be invaluable for Makhachev’s growth. “Sometimes from a difficult fight, you take so much knowledge,” he said. “You can watch what you do wrong, how you can be better. There are so many things you can learn, and I think from this fight, Islam is going to learn a lot.”

Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) is now preparing to defend his lightweight title against Renato Moicano (20-5-1 MMA, 12-5 UFC) at UFC 311 on short notice. Originally scheduled to rematch Arman Tsarukyan, Makhachev will instead face Moicano after Tsarukyan withdrew from the fight last Friday.

Nurmagomedov, who retired undefeated in 2020, has been instrumental in Makhachev’s rise to the top of the lightweight division. He also guided his cousin, Umar Nurmagomedov, to a bantamweight title shot against Merab Dvalishvili on the same card. As Makhachev aims to surpass Nurmagomedov’s record for most lightweight title defenses, the legendary fighter remains confident in his protégé’s abilities.

“It was an amazing fight for fans,” Nurmagomedov said of Makhachev’s victory over Poirier. “Amazing finish in the fifth round and very good experience for Islam. Very, very good experience.”