Khabib Nurmagomedov Backed by Cormier

Daniel Cormier has given a firm answer to a hypothetical matchup that continues to fuel MMA discussion: he would pick Khabib Nurmagomedov over Islam Makhachev. Cormier was asked about the fantasy fight after having trained alongside the Russian teammates at American Kickboxing Academy for several years. While he acknowledged that sparring is different from a real fight, the UFC Hall of Famer said his experiences around both men left him convinced that Nurmagomedov possessed a quality that separated him from the field.

The question carries unusual weight because Nurmagomedov’s career ended in 2020, leaving no possibility of the two teammates meeting in an actual UFC contest. Makhachev has since surpassed Nurmagomedov’s 155-pound title-defense record and won a second UFC belt at welterweight, creating a debate between an undefeated lightweight legacy and a two-weight achievement. Cormier did not frame his answer as a dismissal of Makhachev’s accomplishments. Instead, he focused on what he saw from Nurmagomedov in training and on the specific way Nurmagomedov handled high-level opposition during his fighting career.

Cormier’s case for Khabib Nurmagomedov

Cormier said he had seen Nurmagomedov and Makhachev spar and described those sessions as fun to watch. But he immediately added the important qualification that sparring differs from competition. His eventual pick was based on a broader impression of Nurmagomedov rather than a claim that a training exchange could settle the matchup. “Khabib had something different,” Cormier said, calling it a quality that could not be taught. To illustrate that view, Cormier pointed to Nurmagomedov’s fight with Justin Gaethje, saying Nurmagomedov walked him down and beat him up. He also recalled Dustin Poirier having Nurmagomedov in a guillotine and said he never believed Nurmagomedov would tap. Cormier then described the rear-naked choke finish in vivid terms, saying Poirier’s neck looked like “the size of a toothpick” when Nurmagomedov secured the hold. Those examples were not presented as a formal prediction model; they were Cormier’s explanation for why he sees Nurmagomedov as the more difficult man to overcome.

Cormier’s strongest conclusion went beyond simply selecting Nurmagomedov in a theoretical meeting with Makhachev. He said he did not know who would have beaten Nurmagomedov and added that Nurmagomedov would still be UFC lightweight champion if he had remained active. That is an assessment from a former dual-weight champion who trained with both athletes, not the outcome of a fight that occurred. The distinction matters in a conversation built entirely around a matchup that cannot be tested in competition. What Cormier offered was a firsthand training-room perspective, combined with the competitive moments he cited from Nurmagomedov’s career. The debate also does not require treating the two achievements as identical. Nurmagomedov was widely regarded as the best lightweight of all time when his career ended, according to the source material. Makhachev later established a different kind of resume by moving beyond the lightweight title-defense mark and capturing a welterweight belt. Cormier’s answer therefore addresses a question of who he believes would win, while the wider discussion can still recognize that the teammates’ accomplishments are measured in different ways.

Why the hypothetical remains relevant

Nurmagomedov remains the central figure in the discussion because his departure in 2020 froze a lightweight legacy that fans still measure against what followed. Makhachev’s success has naturally renewed interest in how the teammates would compare at their best, but Cormier’s comments supply a direct answer from someone familiar with their shared training environment. His reasoning was not based on records alone. It rested on Nurmagomedov’s pressure, composure in danger and what Cormier characterized as an exceptional, unteachable attribute. Makhachev’s next confirmed opportunity adds present-day context without changing the hypothetical nature of Cormier’s pick. He is scheduled to defend his welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry in the UFC 330 main event in Philadelphia on Saturday night. The source states that Makhachev shares the UFC record for the longest win streak with Anderson Silva at 16 and could set a new mark with a victory. That upcoming moment may add another chapter to Makhachev’s legacy, but it does not alter Cormier’s stated view that Nurmagomedov would be his choice in their imagined fight.

• Cormier’s firsthand basis: He trained around Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev at American Kickboxing Academy and said he watched them spar, while stressing that sparring is different from fighting.
• Cormier’s competitive basis: He cited Khabib Nurmagomedov’s pressure against Justin Gaethje and his response after Dustin Poirier attempted a guillotine as evidence of why he saw something different in him.

Cormier did not hesitate when asked for his choice: Khabib Nurmagomedov. His comments do not settle an unknowable matchup, and he plainly noted that training rounds are not fights. They do, however, give the debate a specific perspective from someone who watched both teammates closely. As Makhachev continues his welterweight run, Nurmagomedov’s finished career remains the benchmark Cormier believes would have prevailed in the matchup fans still imagine.

Sources: Bloody Elbow