UFC 280: Islam Makhachev says his 'dream' is to be like Khabib Nurmagomedov

Islam Makhachev has said that his dream is to be like his friend Khabib Nurmagomedov as he prepares for UFC 280.

For the longest time now, Islam Makhachev has been pinpointed as ‘the guy’ to eventually follow in Khabib Nurmagomedov’s footsteps and become a UFC champion.

It’s taken a long time for him to work his way to the summit but finally, after years of waiting, he’ll get his opportunity at UFC 280 this weekend when he challenges Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight championship.

Khabib will be there in his corner and as is always the case, both men are incredibly confident that they’ll walk away with the win - and, in this instance, the gold.

Read more: UFC 280: Date, Fight Card, Location, Tickets and more

Of course, a force of nature like Charles Oliveira isn’t going to go down without a fight, which is why we all expect Makhachev to be more prepared than he’s ever been in anticipation of taking on the Brazilian sensation.

Khabib, who left the sport with a record of 29-0, has always been viewed as one of the leading reasons why Islam has been able to climb so high up through the rankings.

During a recent interview, Makhachev himself explained his goal of emulating what Nurmagomedov has been able to achieve.

“He is older than me, and before I started MMA I watched many of his fights. In my mind I want to be like Khabib, this is my dream, you know.”

Makhachev went on to detail what he plans on doing to Oliveira on Saturday night.

“I’m gonna take him down, give him elbows, make him tap and finish him.”

Although the allure of coming back for one more fight in an effort to hit 30-0 is tempting, Khabib Nurmagomedov has always been a man who sticks to his morals.

Read more: UFC 254 news: Khabib Nurmagomedov retires