“Islam was one of the favorites, my father’s students, and he really loved him like his son. He really liked his discipline, focus, his championship mentality, everything,” Khabib Nurmagomedov said in the UFC 294 countdown video. Though not related by blood, Islam Makhachev was always treated like family by Khabib and his late father, Abdulmanap. Now, as the reigning lightweight champion chases greatness, an old interview of his coach praising his destiny is making the rounds again.‘The Eagle’ walked away from the sport after submitting Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. He had already cemented his legacy by retiring undefeated, and many believe he could’ve done even more. But the passing of his beloved father on July 3, 2020, due to COVID-19 complications, broke him. And because of a promise he made to his mother, he couldn’t continue fighting. His legacy? While Charles Oliveira briefly held the belt, it was Islam Makhachev who finally captured it at UFC 280, completing “Father’s Plan.”Although the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov got to witness his son Khabib hoist the lightweight belt in front of a roaring crowd, he sadly didn’t live to see his favorite student, Islam Makhachev, do the same. Still, he wasn’t without a vision. According to an Instagram post by @mma_tm, the legendary Russian coach had already predicted that Islam would go on to make four title defenses at 155 pounds, though he wasn’t sure if Islam would ever chase double champ status in a higher division.The Instagram account uploaded @mma_tm a video of Abdulmanap giving an interview to the popular YouTube channel Ushatayka, and captioned the post, “Once upon a time, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov just dreamed that following Khabib, another student of his would take a UFC belt! So he wanted to confirm his martial arts class.”The captions continued, “Abdulmanap could not dream that Islam would go for the second belt in the semi-middle [welterweight] division – initially, the plan was to win the title and defend the title 4 time[s]. Islam implemented [his] teacher’s planned plan. All tasks have been completed and now it’s time to make history. Time to get the second belt in the [welterweight] division.” View this post on Instagram A post shared by ММА (@mma_tm)That’s Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s dream coming to life. Islam Makhachev has successfully defended his lightweight belt against some of the division’s top contenders. Now, he’s vacated the title to move up and face Jack Della Maddalena in a super fight after the Aussie defeated Belal Muhammad at UFC 315. Whether the Dagestani juggernaut captures a second belt or not, he’s already surpassed his mentor’s expectations—and that alone might be his greatest achievement yet. However, there was a time when the soon-to-be lightweight champion didn’t quite believe it after his coach told him he had the makings of a future champion. Now that he’s become one of the greatest 155ers, let’s take a look back at that moment.Islam Makhachev couldn’t believe Khabib’s father when he called him a future championIslam Makhachev’s name is now linked with some of the best to ever do it in the sport. But like anyone starting out, his young mind was full of doubts when he began training under the late great Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. It was the Russian coach who first saw his discipline and hard work, and was the one to plant the idea that Islam could become a champion one day.The 155lbs champ told ESPN in a 2017 interview, “Abdulmanap always told me when I was young that I was going to be champion, but at that time I was so young, so I thought it was going to be hard for me. He told me [again] ‘you’re going to be champion’ and at that moment I thought ‘How?’ because I’m from Russia and we don’t have many champions from there.”Fighters like Khabib and Islam were definitely molded at the American Kickboxing Academy under coach Javier Mendez. However, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov deserves the credit for laying the foundation, which played a huge role in helping them become the best versions of themselves. After him, his students have been passing on the knowledge of this sport. That being said, now that Khabib Nurmagomedov has stepped into his father’s coaching role, how much impact do you think he’s had on fighters like Islam and others? We’d love to hear your thoughts.The post Islam Makhachev Finally Fulfils Nurmagomedov’s Difficult Dream as Khabib’s Father’s Confession Remembered appeared first on EssentiallySports.