Islam Makhachev

Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev is a Russian mixed martial artist from Dagestan who competes in the UFC, having held championships in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions. Unlike many of his peers, he has never adopted a nickname, preferring to let his fight record speak for itself.

Born in Makhachkala and raised partly in the village of Burshi, Makhachev began training in combat sports as a child before turning to freestyle wrestling and, later, combat sambo. He was brought into MMA by the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, father of former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and the two trained alongside each other coming up through the Dagestani wrestling system. He fights out of American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California, under head coach Javier Mendez, with Khabib Nurmagomedov also serving as a key cornerman and mentor.

Makhachev's grappling credentials are elite even by championship standards. He is a Combat Sambo World Champion and multiple-time Russian national combat sambo champion, holding the rank of International Master of Sport, and he also carries a black belt in judo. That pedigree underpins a wrestling-heavy approach built on relentless chain wrestling, positional dominance and suffocating top control, complemented by a submission arsenal that has produced finishes by arm-triangle choke, kimura and rear-naked choke. His striking, once considered a weaker link, developed into a legitimate weapon capable of ending fights on the feet.

He won the vacant UFC lightweight title at UFC 280 by submitting Charles Oliveira, then defended it against Alexander Volkanovski twice and against Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano. He later moved up to welterweight and captured that title as well, defeating Jack Della Maddalena to claim the welterweight title.

Stats last updated: August 09, 2026