“What we had, I don’t think will ever be replicated again in the sport of mixed martial arts,” two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier boasted about the AKA roster. Indeed, with 19 MMA champions, the team has created the largest number of elite fighters, second only to ATT.

This prowess wasn’t a matter of chance, it was shaped every step of the way by intent, loyalty, and a strong team culture. Well, that comes down to one unspoken rule within the gym, as Khabib Nurmagomedov’s training partner and former corner, Josh Thompson, explained.

Khabib’s teammate, Josh Thompson, lifts the veil on AKA’s greatness

Josh Thompson and Luke Thomas came together for an episode of the Weighing In podcast and couldn’t help but comment on AKA’s dominance in the MMA industry. While Thompson acknowledged the past leaders, including the Miletich Fighting Systems, which housed great fighters like Tim Sylvia, Pat Miletich, and Matt Hughes, he figured there was a single thread that led to AKA’s rapid ascension to greatness.

“For me, the reason I say we were the best gym is this: even to this day, our guys decided not to fight each other. That was one. And two, they didn’t care what the UFC said,” Thompson shared with an air of finality. “They said, ‘No, we’re not fighting each other.’ If it comes, it comes—but we’re not going to let it get to that.”

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Going against the promotion to stand their ground isn’t an easy feat, especially given just how much control the UFC exercises on its fighters, down to their contracts. But team loyalty and friendship trump financial opportunities and career trajectory for the AKA team members, a quality that even put Khabib Nurmagomedov at odds with Josh Thompson for a while.

But that doesn’t lead the AKA team astray from its core values. In fact, when the UFC pressured Josh Koscheck and Jon Fitch to face each other for a welterweight bout, both fighters strongly opposed, even if that cost them an arm and a leg. That decision put Fitch’s UFC career in jeopardy, but AKA never backed down in its support. That’s exactly what helped the AKA stay dominant in the UFC instead of splintering.

“Cain Velasquez and DC. DC had to go to 205lbs because there was already talk like, ‘Hey man, we can’t keep having you beat all our number-one contenders.’ Cain is at the top, and DC said, ‘I’m not fighting Cain.’ Smart call. Very smart,” Thompson narrated another instance where AKA protected its unity.

That’s why Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev could coexist. And it’s hard to deny the elite roster of world-class fighters that AKA houses, all thanks to this unmatched camaraderie between teammates. Josh Thompson, Luke Thomas, Daniel Cormier, Cain Velasquez, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Islam Makhachev, and Umar Nurmagomedov, and this is just the tip of the iceberg.

Maybe the decision for AKA’s in-house rule of not fighting each other is good, as sometimes when fighters from the same team fight each other, things might get out of hand. Teammates turning into bitter rivals is nothing new in the world of UFC. One such story is involving two of the top names in Team Alpha Male, Cody Garbrandt and T.J. Dillashaw. Their rivalry kickstarted at the Ultimate Fighter reality show and concluded in 2018. Both fighters fought each other twice, once at UFC 217 and then a year later at UFC 227. Both fights ended with Dillashaw’s hands raised in victory via TKO. Garbrandt was willing to rekindle their rivalry in 2021 but that did not come to fruition.

This impressive team of killers is what came in clutch for one of Thompson’s most crucial fights ever.

How Khabib and Islam helped Thompson achieve one of his most iconic victories

More than a decade ago, Josh Thompson added one of the most intriguing fights to UFC history, as he handed Nate Diaz his first KO loss. After setting up his game with low kicks in the first round, Thompson continued with feints in the second as he landed a powerful head kick that no one could have seen coming. Following it up with a fury of heavy strikes, Thompson put an end to the fight at 3:44 of the 2nd round.

However, returning to the UFC after 9 years, Thompson had to approach and prepare for the bout with intent. That’s where the AKA team comes in, with Dagestani prospects like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev joining the team. Despite being underdogs themselves back in 2013, they helped Thompson prepare for Diaz’s relentless pressure, cage wrestling, and grappling-heavy styles.

“[Usman] Magomedov, Islam Makhachev, and Khabib [Nurmagomedov] were my three main training partners. Leading into my fight with Nate, I used Khabib, and I used Magomed and Islam Makhachev for some of that training,” Thompson told Luke Thomas, who instantly recognized the iconic head kick.

In the end, Josh Thompson’s story shows that AKA’s greatness wasn’t built on star power alone, but on a ruthless training room, unwavering loyalty, and teammates like Khabib and Islam who made fight night feel easier than practice. Does it make the team worthy of the ‘greatest-ever’ title? Let us know your take in the comments.