Opinion: Are cracks beginning to show in the Nurmagomedov dynasty?
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Recent perceived setbacks are raising questions about Team Nurmagomedov. | 📷: Getty/UFC
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Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov built one hell of a legacy.
The father of legendary former Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Abdulmanap was the driving force behind his son’s success. He trained Khabib from a young age and helped mold him into a fighter frequently included in MMA’s greatest-of-all-time discussions.
Several relatives and family friends also built successful careers in the sport. Most never approached Khabib’s accomplishments, but producing even one fighter of his caliber is more than most coaches achieve. The fact that Islam Makhachev has developed a résumé comparable to Khabib’s places Abdulmanap among the greatest trainers in MMA history.
Unfortunately, Abdulmanap did not live to see the full extent of his work. He died in July 2020 after experiencing complications related to Covid-19. Three months later, Khabib announced his retirement following another successful title defense, saying he did not want to continue without his father.
Khabib did not leave the sport entirely. He transitioned into coaching and assumed a version of his father’s role, guiding Makhachev to UFC championships in two divisions.
Further success followed. Usman Nurmagomedov captured championships in Bellator MMA and the Professional Fighters League, while Umar Nurmagomedov earned a shot at the UFC bantamweight title. Umar came up short, but he was only 29 and appeared likely to receive another opportunity. Through Khabib, Abdulmanap’s influence seemed poised to extend throughout the decade.
Even great MMA dynasties eventually fade
However, nothing in combat sports lasts forever.
Coaches do not face the same physical limitations as fighters, but no trainer remains at the top indefinitely. Their periods of dominance can be surprisingly similar to the competitive windows of their athletes.
Consider some of MMA’s most celebrated coaches: Pat Miletich, Greg Jackson and Andre Pederneiras. Each guided multiple fighters to UFC championships, but none occupies the same place in the modern conversation. Jackson and Pederneiras remain connected to the sport, yet it has been some time since one of their pupils stood among the UFC’s most prominent champions.
We may now be witnessing the beginning of a similar decline for the Nurmagomedov team.
That does not mean everything will collapse immediately. It does suggest, however, that the group’s peak might already have passed.
Islam Makhachev is starting to look vulnerable
Makhachev successfully defended his welterweight championship against Ian Garry last month, but he appeared more vulnerable than at any previous point during his record-setting winning streak. Unable to physically overwhelm Machado Garry as he had many of his lightweight opponents, Makhachev escaped with a narrow victory.
His next challenger could be Carlos Prates or Michael Morales, both of whom would present imposing physical tests. That has led to questions about whether Makhachev’s reign might be approaching its final stages.
Umar Nurmagomedov’s knockout loss changes the equation
Umar still carried an aura of inevitability after losing to Merab Dvalishvili in early 2025. Their meeting was among the closest fights of Dvalishvili’s extended winning streak, and Umar was never badly hurt. There was little shame in losing to one of the most dominant bantamweight champions the UFC had seen.
That aura has now disappeared.
Yadong Song knocked Umar unconscious with an uppercut this past weekend. The immediate question is how Umar will respond.
Some fighters unravel after their first professional defeat, but Umar did not. He rebounded from the Dvalishvili loss by comfortably defeating Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo. A first knockout loss can present a different psychological challenge, however, and there is no guarantee that Umar will return as the same fighter.
His championship prospects have also become more uncertain. If UFC decision-makers are reluctant to promote his wrestling-heavy style, rebuilding toward another title shot could require a lengthy winning streak.
The next generation has yet to fill the void
Makhachev and Umar are not the only notable fighters connected to Khabib’s team. There is a reasonable argument that Usman Nurmagomedov could be one of the world’s best lightweights.
Elsewhere, Abubakar Nurmagomedov is no longer with the UFC, while Tagir Ulanbekov appears to have fallen short of early expectations. Several promising fighters remain outside the promotion, but staying away from the UFC may limit their visibility and perceived standing.
That is not necessarily a criticism of their career decisions. Competing elsewhere might provide better financial opportunities. Fairly or unfairly, though, success outside the UFC often receives less recognition from the broader MMA audience.
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s team can still reverse the slide
It would not take much for Khabib’s team to reverse the current narrative.
Usman could enter the UFC and win the lightweight championship. Umar could produce a winning streak too convincing to ignore. Prospects such as Ibragim Ibragimov and Renat Khavalov could continue to turn heads.
That is an extensive list of things that would need to go right. Khabib’s team has enjoyed an extraordinary run of success, but such periods do not last forever. Other highly regarded camps have discovered how quickly momentum can change.
The immediate downfall of Eagles MMA is hardly guaranteed, but some cracks are beginning to show. Once that happens, decline often follows—gradually in some cases and suddenly in others.
There would be nothing shameful about that outcome. Every great team eventually recedes. Even American Top Team has maintained its longevity partly through a rotating collection of coaches and fighters rather than one uninterrupted generation.
The Nurmagomedov team’s slide may have begun. Still, Khabib has repeatedly demonstrated that counting him out is unwise, even when he is no longer the one competing.
Then again, like Khabib, Father Time remains undefeated.
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