“The Eagle has landed” 🦅. @MAKHACHEVMMA is buzzing with excitement. Why? Because @TeamKhabib is back in his corner for #UFC302! Check it out: pic.twitter.com/AcvpdByEnX. That tweet from UFC on May 28, 2024, says it all.
Now, onto the juicy details. Islam Makhachev has got Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner. Yes, for his upcoming title fight. It’s official.
Makhachev (25-1) is set to defend his lightweight title. His opponent? Dustin Poirier (30-8). The venue? UFC 302’s main event on June 1 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Makhachev and Nurmagomedov have been training together. But, until now, it wasn’t clear if Khabib would actually be there at UFC 302. Well, Makhachev has spilled the beans. “Eagle is landed in Jersey City. He is going to be in my corner. Honestly, I’m very happy because he is one of the best corner, coach, brother, friend. That’s it.”
Fancy watching it live? Order Now! UFC 302 “Makhachev vs. Poirier” Saturday at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
After retiring in 2020, Nurmagomedov has been somewhat of a ghost in the MMA world. He left the sport after defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. That was after the sad passing of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Khabib then stepped into his father’s shoes, coaching and cornering his pals. But, he claimed to have cut ties with the sport in January 2023, just before Makhachev’s UFC 284 title defense against Alexander Volkanovski. UFC 302 marks Nurmagomedov’s grand return to an Ultimate Fighting Championship event.