Javier Mendez says no one beat Khabib Nurmagomedov in a sparring session and the only person to win rounds off of him was Islam Makhachev.

Nurmagomedov retired undefeated and was dominant in the UFC as he hadn’t lost a round until he fought Conor McGregor. He had his ways with opponents and since he retired, the attention has turned to Islam Makhachev who’s set to headline UFC 280 against Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title.

Makhachev is the betting favorite and many – including Nurmagomedov – have hyped him up as a future champion. For Mendez, who coaches both, he says Islam Makhachev is the only fighter to win rounds off of Nurmagomedov in sparring.

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“In all the history, since 2012, since Khabib’s been doing sparring with me in front of my eyes, there has been nobody that’s ever taken a round from him. No one’s ever won a sparring session. Not a sparring session with Khabib ever. Except one man. Islam,” Mendez said to Submission Radio about Makhachev. “He’s the only one that has won rounds from Khabib. Never won a session, but he’s won rounds. And I’ve never seen that. So, obviously, when Khabib talks about the next heir, he’s not saying something that he’s trying to make up and make people believe. He knows, like I know, how good his Islam is.

“That’s why he’s so confident in what he’s saying. Khabib’s not known to say something that he doesn’t mean,” Mendez continued about Islam Makhachev. “And he means it, I mean it. And now it’s time for Islam to go out there and shine and let everybody know what Khabib already knows and I know, that he’s the best right now. He is the best. And we have to prove it and we will prove it.”

Islam Makhachev is 22-1 as a pro and is riding a 10-fight winning streak and beat Bobby Green his last time out.

What do you make of Islam Makhachev being the only person to win rounds off of Khabib Nurmagomedov in sparring?