TLDR
- Mike Swick confirmed Islam Makhachev was the only fighter who gave Khabib competition in training
- Makhachev’s striking skills troubled Khabib more than his grappling during sparring sessions
- Swick believes Khabib had better ground fundamentals while Islam was more natural on his feet
- Joe Rogan called Makhachev ‘one level above’ Khabib due to his elite striking abilities
- Makhachev became UFC’s eleventh double champion in November 2025 after beating Jack Della Maddalena
Sources: yardbarker.com | yardbarker.com
Mike Swick, owner of AKA Thailand, has revealed which fighter gave Khabib Nurmagomedov his toughest battles in the gym. The answer might surprise some fans, but it makes perfect sense to those who train at the facility.
Islam Makhachev, Khabib’s longtime training partner and protege, was the only person who truly challenged ‘The Eagle’ during sparring sessions. Swick confirmed this fact during an interview with Red Corner MMA.
“He’s the only one that gave Khabib any kind of competition and trouble pretty much in the gym,” Swick said. His comments support earlier statements from AKA head coach Javier Mendez, who made similar claims about Makhachev’s ability to trouble Nurmagomedov.
The question then became where exactly Makhachev gave Khabib problems. Swick pointed to striking as the main area.
Seeing Islam Makhachev and Khabib go toe-to-toe in sparring would be unforgettable 🤼♂️🔥#UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/ZS1MfpB3L0
— Sportskeeda MMA (@sportskeedaMMA) January 12, 2026
Striking Made the Difference
“Striking more so, in my opinion,” Swick told Red Corner MMA. “The one thing he’s a little more proficient in than where Khabib came from was striking.”
Swick gave Khabib credit for having superior fundamentals on the ground. He said Nurmagomedov’s basics and strength made him extremely difficult to deal with in grappling exchanges.
However, Swick explained that Makhachev started training his striking earlier than Khabib did. “On the feet, Islam was more natural and started a little bit earlier than Khabib on the feet, and he has a little bit more dynamic striking to his game,” he said.
Joe Rogan has also weighed in on the comparison between the two Dagestani fighters. The UFC commentator called Khabib “one of the all-time greats” but said Makhachev represents a more complete fighter.
“But the difference between Khabib and Islam is Islam is elite standup-wise,” Rogan said on his podcast. He pointed to Makhachev’s head-kick knockout of Alexander Volkanovski as proof of skills Khabib never displayed.
Rogan went further in his assessment. “Islam is on another level. It’s like one more level above,” he said. “He can knock you out standing, he can knock you out on the ground. He can submit you. He can take you down.”
Different Kinds of Dominance
Javier Mendez pushed back on claims that Makhachev is more dangerous than his mentor. “OK, he’s more skilled in multiple areas, yes,” Mendez told MMA Mania. “More dangerous? Nobody is more dangerous, in my opinion, in the world than Khabib.”
Mendez pointed out that Khabib never bled during his entire 29-0 career. He barely showed bruises after his fights. Only Michael Johnson ever landed a punch that rocked him.
Makhachev, by contrast, has one knockout loss on his record. His title defense against Dustin Poirier left him with a visible gash on his face.
But Makhachev has built an impressive resume of his own. He currently holds a 14-fight winning streak, the longest in UFC lightweight history. In November 2025, he became the promotion’s eleventh double champion after defeating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.
That victory extended Makhachev’s undefeated run to 16 fights. This tied Anderson Silva’s promotional record for consecutive wins.
Swick said he always believed in Makhachev’s potential. “I knew he was going to have success for sure and be a champion,” Swick said. “And he lived up to every expectation I had and more.”
Khabib retired in 2020 following the death of his father and longtime coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. This means fans will never see the two fighters face each other in an actual bout. The sparring sessions at AKA remain the only evidence of how these two champions matched up against each other.
