Justin Gaethje: Islam Makhachev Better Matchup Than Khabib Nurmagomedov

Justin Gaethje says Khabib is the toughest opponent he’s ever faced, and his dream fight is against Islam Makhachev 👀

“[Islam] is the champ, and I do believe that is a better matchup for me than Khabib.”

Advertisement

🎥 @Justin_Gaethje #UFC #MMApic.twitter.com/NvMALCtqE4

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) February 17, 2025

While both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev rank among the best fighters in MMA history, Justin Gaethje believes he has a better chance of beating the current UFC lightweight champion.

Gaethje suffered a failed lightweight title bid against Nurmagomedov via submission at UFC 254 in 2020. During a recent Q&A session posted on his YouTube channel, “The Highlight” named Nurmagomedov as his toughest test ever. According to Gaethje, he probably couldn’t have beaten “Eagle” at UFC 254 even if he had performed better.

Nurmagomedov retired after UFC 254, citing the demise of his father and coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov’s teammate, Makhachev, soon took over as the lightweight champ and continues to rule the division. With Gaethje potentially nearing the end of his career, a title shot against Makhachev is a dream for the former interim champ. Gaethje also believes he could fare better against Makhachev than he ever would against Nurmagomedov.

“I think Khabib was the one who I felt, even if I performed better, I’m not sure that I could have beat him on that night specifically,” Gaethje said. “So that night that I fought Khabib, I would say that he was my toughest opponent to date… I want to fight Makhachev. He’s the champ, and I do believe that that is a better matchup for me than Khabib. But he’s good.”

Gaethje is coming off an iconic BMF title loss against Max Holloway at UFC 300 in April 2024 that saw a two-fight winning streak snapped. The fan favorite is now set to clash with Dan Hooker in a striker’s delight at UFC 313 on March 8 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Meanwhile, Makhachev hasn’t lost since 2015 and has defended his lightweight title four times.