"Protect the mountains" - Khamzat Chimaev buries the hatchet with Team Khabib Nurmagomedov after Islam Makhachev's welterweight title win

While Khamzat Chimaev and Khabib Nurmagomedov were never true enemies, they did share a brief rivalry, which was nipped in the bud by Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. Now, with his recent social media post, 'Borz' appears intent on further reinforcing their once-fractured relationship.

Following Islam Makhachev's dominant welterweight title win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, the Chechen-born Emirati took to social media, writing:

"'The Wolf 'and 'The Eagle' are not always close, but when you need to protect the mountains, they will always protect them together!"

Check out Khamzat Chimaev's comments on Khabib Nurmagomedov below:

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Chimaev and Nurmagomedov's cousin Abubakar was embroiled in a physical altercation at UFC 280, prompting Kadyrov to intervene and personally settle the rivalry before it could fester.

This resolution, however, has not stopped 'Borz' from considering a future fight against 'The Eagle's' protege Makhachev. Earlier this year, he claimed that he'd be open to facing the Dagestani at welterweight if Makhachev were to capture the belt.

As Chimaev sees it, a win over the newly minted two-division champion is the fastest way to No.1 pound-for-pound status.

'Broz' recently captured his maiden UFC gold with a dominant win over Dricus du Plessis at UFC 319 in August. The 31-year-old currently sits at the No.4 spot on the pound-for-pound ladder.

After UFC 322, Makhachev is now the 11th two-division champion in the history of the promotion, and has also tied Anderson Silva's record 16-fight win streak.

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Islam Makhachev's former opponent dismisses his chances against Khamzat Chimaev

While Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev are two of the greatest grapplers to have ever graced the UFC octagon, Makhachev's former opponent, Arman Tsarukyan, believes the newly minted welterweight champion would pose little trouble to 'Borz' in a potential fight.

A seasoned lightweight, Tsarukyan was dominated on the ground by Chimaev when the pair engaged in a friendly grappling session during the Hype Fighting series in Thailand.

This outcome seems to have provided 'Ahalkalakets' valuable insight into how the former 155-pound champion would fare against the Chechen. During an interview with Aslanbek Badaev, when the topic switched to Chimaev vs. Makhachev, Tsarukyan said:

"Definitely, [I would favour] Khamzat. It's a different body type, fighting Khamzat and guys at 77 kilos [170 lbs]. They are different people. He just locks you down with a vice. Islam is still a 70-kilo [155-pound] fighter... No matter how much he tries to bulk up now, it might actually work against him. He might gain extra weight, extra kilos, which could make him tire faster." H/t: @iAdvancedU on YouTube

Edited by Ujwal Jain