Watch Khabib, Team Makhachev Explode At UFC 280

Khabib Nurmagomedov was clearly ecstatic that his best friend (and top student) Islam Makhachev won the UFC lightweight title by submitting Charles Oliveira in the UFC 280 pay-per-view (PPV) main event last weekend on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi.

Or maybe he was just happy his $1 million investment didn’t go to waste.

Either way, “The Eagle” and the rest of Team Makhachev went bananas after Islam sunk in a picture-perfect arm-triangle choke midway through the second stanza, forcing a tap from the Brazilian and improving Makhachev’s overall record to 23-1 with 11 submissions.

“Last couple of years, I told you guys Islam Makhachev is the best fighter,” Nurmagomedov said after the fight. “Not in lightweight — he’s the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter right now, today. Now is our plan: fly all the way to Australia and fight with pound-for-pound king, Volkanovski.”

The promotion is expected to greenlight a champion vs. champion “super fight” between Makhachev and reigning featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski as part of the upcoming UFC 284 event next Feb. in Perth with pound-for-pound bragging rights up for grabs.

That potential victory lap could make their UFC 280 celebration look like a quiet day at the office.