Islam Makhachev: Islam Makhachev pays heartfelt tribute to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov ahead of possibly becoming P4P king at UFC 284

Islam Makhachev paid a heartfelt tribute to Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov ahead of his fight with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284.

It's a massive fight for Makhachev as he looks to defend his lightweight championship for the first time against the reigning featherweight champion. While reflecting on what the win and moment could mean to his legacy, he posted a photo of himself, Khabib Nurmagomedov and his father, Abdulmanap.

He wrote:

"I wish our coach could witness this days. He would be proud"

The lightweight's tribute is a nice gesture as it shows that he is grateful and appreciative of everything Nurmagomedov has done for him from a young age. He has played a pivotal role in many MMA fighters' careers, including his son, Khabib, and the Dagestani fighters training with Javier Mendez at AKA.

Former Strikeforce lightweight champion Josh Thomson, who trained at AKA throughout his career, also commented on the tweet and affirmed that Nurmagomedov would be proud of Makhachev, writing:

"Yes he would be. You’ll keep making him proud this Saturday night, brother"

@MAKHACHEVMMA Yes he would be. You’ll keep making him proud this Saturday night, brother

The lightweight champion will look to stake claim to the No.1 spot in the pound-for-pound rankings on Saturday and could make a strong case if he earns a decisive win over Volkanovski.

Alexander Volkanovski plans to tire Islam Makhachev out at UFC 284

Despite being a heavy favorite on the betting lines for UFC 284, Islam Makhachev will have his hands full when he defends his lightweight title against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.

During episode #3 of UFC 284 Embedded, 'Volk' mentioned that he intends to tire the lightweight champion and pressure him for the full 25-minutes. He mentioned that he is prepared to deal with the grappling and size disadvantage.

He said:

"They [his opponents] all feel strong early but 5-6 minutes with me, they all slow down. They all start going exactly how I want them to go and they all start fighting my fight, and there's not one man that could slow me down." [1:27 - 1:38]

The fight is signifcant for both their respective legacies in the sport, so it will be interesting to see what transpires and what's next for the winner.