Unearthed Abdulmanap interview recalls UFC issues for Makhachev

A resurfaced December 2019 interview with Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov has shed light on the difficulties Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov allegedly faced in securing high-ranked opponents in the UFC. Abdulmanap said both fighters were treated as though they were not genuine title contenders, despite their position in the lightweight division.

The interview was conducted by Ushatayka and has returned to attention through a translated excerpt. Abdulmanap argued that Makhachev should have been matched with a top-10 lightweight, while also saying any available opponent would have been preferable to continued inactivity against elite competition.

He linked Makhachev’s situation to Khabib’s earlier UFC career. In his account, Khabib spent three to four years dealing with comparable matchmaking problems after reaching contender status. Abdulmanap therefore viewed Makhachev’s path as a repeat of the obstacles that had affected his fellow Dagestani fighter.

Makhachev’s career has since moved far beyond that period of uncertainty. He has broken Anderson Silva’s record for consecutive UFC victories and added a significant title defence after moving across two UFC weight divisions. On August 15, he also stood at the top of the 170-pound division.

The resurfaced comments also connect with Makhachev’s recent view of the welterweight contenders around him. Carlos Prates and Michael Morales were both present at UFC 330, but did not meet on that card. Makhachev questioned why they had not been booked against each other to establish a clear leading challenger.

He identified Morales, Prates and Shavkat Rakhmonov as legitimate threats in the division and said their presence pushed him to train harder. The comments underline how the former lightweight champion now sees the welterweight picture: not as a lack of opposition, but as a group of contenders whose order still needs to be settled.