Islam Makhachev is a Russian professional MMA fighter from the hills of Dagestan. Currently he is the UFC’s Lightweight Champion, and has a 27-1-0 UFC record. He transformed himself from a hilly guy to a fine greatest professional lightweight champion in MMA history. He has won 15 consecutive fights, the third-longest in UFC history after Anderson Silva (16) and Kamaru Usman (15). Throughout his career he represented the symbol of discipline and resilience.
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Early Life and Background
Islam Makhachev was born on October 27, 1991 at Makhachev, the capital of Dagestan. Grew up in the small village of Burshi where his father used to work as a farmer and driver and his mother ran a cafe. He has an older brother, Kurbanismail Makhachev. Life in Burshi was physically demanding and he was enthusiastic about combat sports.
At the age of seven, initially he started playing taekwondo. After some years he switched to Sanda and then finally to freestyle wrestling. Before fully transitioning to martial arts he completed his higher studies in physical education from the Dagestan State University. He used to work as a security guard in that university to support his training and collect funds.
Combat Sambo Career
Khabib Nurmagomedov and Makhachev, both trained under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, father of Khabib. When he was 15 years old, he started training in Sambo under Khabib’s father’s mentorship. He became a four-time Russian National Combat Sambo Champion (including 2014 and 2016). The Dagestani worked on his wrestling and grappling technique and won the 2016 FIAS World Combat Sambo Championship. In the final match he won a gold with a score of 7-0 against Valentin Benishev.
Mixed Martial Arts Career
In 2010, when he was active in sambo, he decided to join Mixed Martial Arts 1 (M-1) Challenge. He remained undefeated throughout his M-1 career (2011 to 2014) and later initially signed the contract with UFC in 2015 for four fights. He fought his first fight at UFC 187 against Leo Kuntz and lost only a single fight against Adriano Martins at UFC 192. From 2015 up until now, he held a record of 27-1-0 and won the UFC Lightweight title at UFC 280 against Charles Oliveira.
He was also awarded “Order For Merit to the Republic of Dagestan” for his victorious performance in martial arts. Not only he won the championship but also defended it multiple times against Alexander Volkanovski twice (2023) and Dustin Poirier (2024). With these wins, he holds the longest winning streak as a champion and third-longest in UFC history.
Training and Fighting Style
He trains at the American Kickboxing Academy (AKA) in San Jose, California, and at the Fight Spirit Team in Dagestan. At AKA, He trained under the mentorship of Javier Mendez and Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. His fighting style is an aggressive and dominant blend with sambo, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. He controls the game with his irresistible grappling technique and unmatched ground fighting style.
Achievements throughout the career
He is the Current UFC Lightweight Champion and also won World Combat Sambo Champion (2016), two-time Russian National Combat Sambo Champion. He is also the International Master of Sport in Combat Sambo. Along with these big achievements, multiple times he won Fight of the Night, Performance of the Night awards.
Personal Life of Islam Makhachev
Islam Makhachev married in 2021 in a private traditional Dagestani ceremony attended by a few people including former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. He is the father of three children, an eldest daughter and two sons. He always prioritizes quality time with his loved ones over the fame and attention from the fans. The Lightweight champion has three children including a daughter and two sons.
Relationship with Khabib Nurmagomedov
He always gives credit for his success inside the octagon to Khabib. He had stated:
“I want to be the next Khabib. I want to be like Khabib. Honestly, I want to smash all my opponents like Kabib, too. I have a little bit of the same (statistics), but I agree. If somebody says, ‘You fight like Khabib’ or ‘You gonna be like Khabib’, I want to be”.
They both trained under the mentorship of Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov in their initial years and after Khabib got retired. He still supported him during his fights.
Net Worth and Legacy
As of 2025, his estimated net worth is $6 million. He receives the salary as a base salary and also from the sponsorship deals. Multiple times he won “Fight of the Night,” and “Performance of the Night” awards that adds to his final earning from the match. With his 27-1-0 record in UFC, he already proved his legacy in UFC and was recognized as one of MMA’s all-time greats in the lightweight division.
Cultural Values and Beliefs
Islam Makhachev follows a strict discipline where he avoids parties and is deeply rooted in Islamic faith and Dagestani customs. He balances his professional life and gives emphases for his his family too. Makhachev is always praised for his humility and respect inside and outside the octagon.
Conclusion
Islam Makhachev is an example of those who not only dream big but take action to fulfill them. A balance between his professional as well as family shows his love towards career and family. Khabib brought the name of Dagestan in the UFC and now Makhachev lifted it to another level by cementing Dagestani’s fighters name in the history of UFC.
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