Islam Makhachev Bio
Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and former combat sambo competitor. Born on 27 October 1991 in Makhachkala, Dagestan, he currently competes in the Welterweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the reigning UFC Welterweight Champion and a former UFC Lightweight Champion. As of late 2025, he holds the number one spot in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings and is widely regarded as one of the most dominant grapplers of his generation.
Early Life and Background
Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev is an ethnic Lak who was born in Makhachkala and raised in the remote village of Burshi, then part of the Dagestan ASSR in the Soviet Union. His father grew tomatoes and worked as a driver, while his mother ran a small cafe and managed the home. He grew up alongside an older brother named Kurbanismail and has spoken about a childhood shaped by frequent informal street fights, a common feature of life in his region.
At the age of seven, Makhachev began training in taekwondo under the decorated coach Seyfula Magomedov. He later moved to sanda while attending school with Abubakar Nurmagomedov, where he also met Khabib Nurmagomedov and the wider Nurmagomedov family. After his family relocated to a different town, he stepped away from combat sports for two years and played soccer, but eventually returned to martial arts and trained in freestyle wrestling before committing fully to mixed martial arts.
Path to MMA
Makhachev’s transition to professional fighting was shaped by the influence of his childhood friends and the late coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, Khabib’s father, who welcomed him into the team. He studied physical education and sports at Dagestan State University and worked as a security guard to support himself, with his employer allowing him time off for training camps and competitions. In February 2014, he captured the 74 kg division at the Russian National Combat Sambo Championship, securing a place at that year’s World Championship, though a heart condition prevented him from competing.
He reclaimed the Russian national title at 74 kg in 2016 and went on to win gold at the 2016 World Combat Sambo Championship in the finals over Valentin Benishev of Bulgaria by a 7–0 score. These amateur achievements established him as one of the top sambo competitors in the country and gave him a platform to launch his professional MMA career, which had begun back in 2010.
Islam Makhachev Career
Early Career (2010–2014)
Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev made his professional debut in 2010 and built his early record on the Russian regional circuit before joining M-1 Global. He won his M-1 debut against Tengiz Khuchua by first-round knockout on 12 February 2011 and followed it with a unanimous-decision win over Mansour Barnaoui at M-1 Challenge 38 in April 2013. He continued his climb with decision wins over Rander Junio and a submission of Yuri Ivlev, before finishing his M-1 Global stint with a third-round submission of Ivica Truscek in September 2014.
His final M-1 Global performance was enough to attract the UFC, and he signed a four-fight contract with the promotion on 2 October 2014. By that point he had developed a reputation for suffocating top control and a steady stream of grappling finishes, traits that would carry over into his UFC career.
UFC Breakthrough (2015–2021)
Makhachev made his UFC debut at UFC 187 in May 2015, submitting Leo Kuntz in the second round. He suffered the only loss of his career in October 2015, knocked out by Adriano Martins at UFC 192, and shortly afterward faced a USADA suspension after testing positive for meldonium, a substance he said was prescribed following a heart procedure. The suspension was lifted in July 2016, and he resumed his climb through the lightweight division.
Between 2016 and 2021, Makhachev put together a sustained unbeaten run, registering wins over Chris Wade, Nik Lentz, Gleison Tibau, Kajan Johnson, Arman Tsarukyan, Davi Ramos, Drew Dober, Thiago Moisés, Dan Hooker, and Bobby Green. By the end of 2021, he had earned multiple Fight of the Night and Performance of the Night bonuses, and the UFC installed him as a future title contender. Training out of American Kickboxing Academy alongside elite wrestlers, he refined his striking and wrestling under head coach Javier Mendez, adding layers to a grappling base first forged in Dagestan.
UFC Lightweight Champion (2022–2025)
Makhachev claimed the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 280 on 22 October 2022, finishing Charles Oliveira with an arm-triangle choke in the second round and earning a Performance of the Night bonus. In November 2022, the Republic of Dagestan awarded him the Order For Merit to the Republic of Dagestan for his achievements in martial arts. His first title defense came against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 in February 2023, a close bout he won by unanimous decision to take home a Fight of the Night award.
He faced Volkanovski again in a short-notice rematch at UFC 294 in October 2023 and produced one of his most dramatic performances, a first-round head-kick knockout that brought another Performance of the Night bonus. At UFC 302 in June 2024, he submitted Dustin Poirier with a fifth-round brabo choke to claim both Performance of the Night and Fight of the Night honors. In January 2025, Makhachev submitted Renato Moicano in the first round at UFC 311, his fourth successful defense of the 155-pound title.
UFC Welterweight Champion (2025–Present)
In May 2025, the UFC announced that Makhachev would vacate the lightweight crown and move up to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title at UFC 322. The bout was officially confirmed on 28 August 2025 and took place on 15 November 2025, with Makhachev winning by unanimous decision to become the eleventh double champion in UFC history. The victory tied Anderson Silva’s all-time UFC record of sixteen consecutive wins and pushed him past several lightweight marks he already owned, including the longest 155-pound winning streak at fourteen fights.
Driving Style and Strengths
Makhachev’s style is grounded in the chain wrestling and positional control taught in Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov’s system in Dagestan. He prefers trips and body locks from the clinch over explosive shots, wearing opponents down with methodical top pressure and finishing primarily through his arm-triangle choke. While his grappling remains the foundation, he has developed a measured southpaw striking game built on feints and distance kicks, allowing him to set up takedowns against elite athletes.
Notable Events and Milestones
Highlights include the 2016 World Combat Sambo gold medal, the 2022 UFC Lightweight title win over Oliveira, the first-round head-kick knockout of Volkanovski at UFC 294, and the 2025 UFC Welterweight title victory over Della Maddalena that tied Anderson Silva’s sixteen-fight UFC winning streak. Across his career he has set UFC lightweight records for the longest winning streak, the most title-fight victories, the most successful title defenses, and the highest significant-strike accuracy at 59.5 percent.
Islam Makhachev Career Wins
Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev’s professional record stands at 28 wins and 1 loss across 29 bouts, with finishes by knockout, submission, and decision. His wins reflect a versatile finisher capable of arm-triangle chokes, brabo chokes, kimuras, rear-naked chokes, armbars, and patient ground-and-pound, paired with a string of late-round decision victories over top-ranked opponents.
UFC Highlights
Among his most significant UFC wins are finishes of Oliveira, Poirier, Moicano, Hooker, Moisés, Dober, Tibau, and Johnson, as well as decision victories over Volkanovski, Tsarukyan, Ramos, Lentz, and Wade. His latest victory over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 marked his first welterweight title win and made him a two-division UFC champion. Multiple performances have earned him Performance of the Night or Fight of the Night bonuses, including the contests against Oliveira, both Volkanovski bouts, Poirier, and Moicano.
Other Wins and Performances
Outside the UFC, Makhachev captured regional wins on the M-1 Global roster against Tengiz Khuchua, Mansour Barnaoui, Rander Junio, Yuri Ivlev, and Ivica Truscek. He also earned two Russian national combat sambo titles at 74 kg in 2014 and 2016, and a gold medal at the 2016 World Combat Sambo Championship. He holds the rank of International Master of Sport in combat sambo and a black belt in judo.
Islam Makhachev Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev grew up in a working-class Dagestani family in the village of Burshi, with a father who farmed tomatoes and drove for a living and a mother who ran a small cafe. His older brother is Kurbanismail, and his extended network includes close ties to the Nurmagomedov family, where he trained under the late Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov alongside Khabib and Abubakar Nurmagomedov.
Personal Life
Makhachev resides in Makhachkala, Dagestan, and trains out of American Kickboxing Academy in the United States. He is married and, as of January 2025, has three children, the oldest being a daughter, followed by two sons. He has also trained with KHK MMA Team, Eagles MMA, Fight Spirit Team, and Old School Fighters at various stages of his career.
2025 Season Performance
Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev opened 2025 with a first-round brabo choke submission of Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January, defending his lightweight crown for the fourth time. With the lightweight title vacated later in the year, the UFC confirmed in May 2025 that Makhachev would move up to challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight belt at UFC 322.
The bout was officially announced on 28 August 2025 and headlined UFC 322 on 15 November 2025 in New York. Makhachev produced a commanding performance to win the unanimous decision, capturing the welterweight title and tying Anderson Silva’s record of sixteen consecutive UFC victories. The result elevated him to the top of the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings and confirmed his status as the promotion’s eleventh two-division champion.
Looking beyond UFC 322, Makhachev faces a crowded welterweight field that includes top contenders such as Kamaru Usman, Belal Muhammad, and Sean Brady, while questions remain over whether he will also pursue the vacant lightweight crown he vacated earlier in 2025. His partnership with head coach Javier Mendez at American Kickboxing Academy and the deep wrestling base forged in Dagestan position him as a central figure in the UFC’s championship picture for years to come.