Khabib Nurmagomedov lays blueprint for Usman Nurmagomedov to achieve legend status at lightweight

Khabib Nurmagomedov was part of his cousin Usman Nurmagomedov's corner team for the latter's recently concluded lightweight title fight against Alexandr Shabliy at Bellator Champions Series: San Diego. The 26-year-old successfully defended his 155-pound title and has the potential to go down as one of the greats, according to his cousin.

'The Eagle' is regarded by some as the best lightweight fighter of all time, and even the greatest MMA fighter ever, regardless of weight class. His close friend and teammate, Islam Makhachev, has taken the reigns from Nurmagomedov and continued to dominate the 155 pound division in the UFC.

The former UFC lightweight champion believes that his younger cousin could follow in the footsteps of himself and Makhachev. Following Usman's latest outing, the 35-year old laid out a plan for him to do so, saying:

"Usman did an amazing job versus a very good and experienced opponent. He showed the world why he is one of the best in the world, he will keep growing. He just turned 26, I really believe he's gonna have a great future. He already made history, winning and defending his title three times. But can you imagine after five or six years, [if] this guy stays focused he can put his name as one of the greatest, atop the list. This is what I believe."

Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov discuss Usman Nurmagomedov below:

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Usman Nurmagomedov will follow in Islam Makhachev's footsteps, says Khabib Nurmagomedov

Usman Nurmagomedov's brother, Umar, as well as their cousin Khabib Nurmagomedov, were part of the corner team for his recent lightweight title fight at Bellator Champions Series: San Diego.

A dominant display by the 26-year old saw his hand raised after all five rounds, with the judges awarding him a unanimous decision victory.

He extended his undefeated record to 18-0-1 (1 No Contest), and 'The Eagle' is confident that his cousin's domination will emulate that of himself and Islam Makhachev, the current UFC lightweight champion.

The former UFC champion took the microphone following the main event, where he said this:

"I think Usman right now is one of the best lightweights in the world. I was before, now it's our brother Islam [Makhachev], and Usman is next. This is the dynasty, I think many many years [from now] people are gonna talk and they won't even understand why. We work so hard, and we believe in Allah and we believe in ourselves."

Watch Khabib Nurmagomedov's speech below: