Islam Makhachev reveals Khabib Nurmagomedov will be in his corner for UFC 302: “Eagle has landed in Jersey City”

UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev will have Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner for his title defense at UFC 302 on Saturday.

Makhachev is set to headline UFC 302 against Dustin Poirier, and on Tuesday, he revealed that Nurmagomedov is now in New Jersey and will be in his corner on Saturday night. Nurmagomedov had stepped away from fighting and coaching in MMA, but he is set to return and will be in Makhachev’s corner at UFC 302.

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1795579394880401898

“Eagle has landed in Jersey City. He’s going to be in my corner. Honestly, I’m very happy because he’s one of the best corner, coach, brother, friend. That’s it,” Makhachev said to the UFC.

Nurmagomedov wasn’t in Makhachev’s corner for his last two fights against Alexander Volkanovski. The last time the former champ cornered Makhachev was back at UFC 280 when he won the lightweight title with a submission win over Charles Oliveira.

Why Khabib Nurmagomedov decided to corner Islam Makhachev again is uncertain, but it is welcome news for the lightweight champ. Nurmagomedov was also seen coaching Makhachev in Russia before this fight, so it does appear he has had an important role in this fight. Of course, Nurmagomedov had fought Poirier back in 2019 and he won by submission.

Khabib Nurmagomedov has also predicted that Islam Makhachev will finish Dustin Poirier quicker than he did, as ‘The Eagle’ submitted ‘The Diamond’ in the third round.

“Dustin is very experienced; he’s been in many battles already,” Nurmagomedov said in a  YouTube video showcasing Makhachev’s training camp. “Yes, he has lost, but he also has many victories in the UFC, more than 22 or 23 wins. Using our slang, he is a seasoned warrior. You can’t take him lightly. We have great respect for Dustin, but on June 1, he is our opponent. We have a clearly developed plan for the fight, and I believe Islam will follow it. I really hope that Islam will finish him off in the second or third round.”

Makhachev enters his UFC 302 title fight against Dustin Poirier as a sizeable -575 favorite.