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Islam Makhachev is the UFC Lightweight Champion and, as of 2025, the consensus number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. A product of Dagestan’s legendary wrestling tradition and the AKA/Eagles MMA training system under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov and later Javier Mendez, Makhachev brings a complete grappling-based MMA style that has proven nearly impossible for the world’s best lightweights to solve. He has been called the next Khabib — a comparison he has worked hard to justify.

Dagestan Origins and the Khabib Connection

Islam Makhachev was born on October 27, 1991, in Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia. He grew up training alongside Khabib Nurmagomedov, who became his closest friend, training partner, and eventual cornerman. The two came up through the same system under Khabib’s father Abdulmanap, developing the smothering wrestling-based MMA style that Dagestani fighters have brought to the UFC with remarkable consistency.

Makhachev was always considered highly talented, but the question for many years was whether he could achieve the sustained excellence in the UFC that Khabib had demonstrated. The early part of his UFC career — while consistently winning — featured some inconsistency and a loss to Adriano Martins that kept doubts alive. What followed was a systematic dismantling of those doubts.

The Rise: An Unstoppable Winning Streak

From approximately 2019 onward, Makhachev assembled one of the most impressive winning streaks in UFC lightweight history. He defeated ranked opponents including Thiago Moisses, Drew Dober, Bobby Green, and Arman Tsarukyan with performances that showcased increasing technical sophistication and physical dominance.

His submission of Dober via arm bar in a single round was the kind of demonstration that reminded observers of Khabib at his most dominant — controlled, precise, inevitable. By the time he received a title shot, Makhachev had built a case that he was the division’s best fighter regardless of what the official ranking said.

UFC Lightweight Champion: Submitting Charles Oliveira

Makhachev won the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 280 on October 22, 2022, submitting the reigning champion Charles Oliveira in the second round. The performance was a masterclass of pressure wrestling: Makhachev took Oliveira down repeatedly, maintained dominant positions, and forced the submission despite Oliveira being one of the most dangerous submission artists in MMA history.

The victory was Khabib’s final triumph as a coaching presence. Having retired undefeated himself, Khabib had committed to developing Makhachev as the standard-bearer for the Dagestani wrestling style at lightweight. The championship win in the city of Abu Dhabi — where Khabib had also won a title fight — had symbolic resonance that meant as much as the technical achievement.

Defending Against Volkanovski: Featherweight Champion Challenges for Lightweight Title

Makhachev’s first title defense, at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia in February 2023, came against Alexander Volkanovski — the reigning UFC Featherweight Champion who moved up to challenge for the lightweight title. The fight was one of the most anticipated of that year and produced a competitive five rounds that went the distance.

Makhachev won by unanimous decision in a fight that showcased both his ability to handle a uniquely challenging opponent and his championship composure under sustained pressure. Volkanovski had flashes of the fight where he appeared to threaten, but Makhachev’s control and takedowns proved decisive over the championship rounds.

The rematch at UFC 294 in October 2023 produced a stunning first-round knockout by Makhachev, answering any remaining questions about the legitimacy of the first result and establishing him firmly as one of the sport’s elite champions.

Continuing Championship Dominance

Makhachev has continued to add to his title defense tally with dominant performances against the top contenders in the lightweight division. Each defense has reinforced the impression that he occupies a tier above the field at 155 pounds in the same way Khabib did during his championship reign.

His second fight with Arman Tsarukyan — a highly anticipated rematch against the only man to take him to a decision in his recent run — was among the most anticipated lightweight title fights of 2024-2025. The result added another chapter to his championship story.

Fighting Style: The Dagestani System at Its Finest

Makhachev’s fighting style centers on elite wrestling and grappling, using constant forward pressure and level changes to keep opponents off-balance and eventually secure takedowns. Once on the ground, he combines control wrestling with active submission hunting, making it dangerous to concede position even momentarily.

His striking has developed significantly over his career. He is no longer a pure grappler who tolerated stand-up until he could secure a takedown — he is now a legitimate threat on the feet with solid boxing and kicks that can score and create openings. The development of his striking has made him more difficult to defend against because opponents can no longer focus purely on sprawling and surviving.

What separates Makhachev from many excellent wrestlers is his submission fluency on the ground. He is not content with positional control — he actively seeks finishes, and his submission game from top position and guard has produced impressive results against fighters with strong ground games of their own.

Islam Makhachev Career Record Summary

Born: October 27, 1991, Makhachkala, Dagestan, Russia
Professional MMA record: 26 wins (10 sub, 5 KO/TKO), 1 loss (as of 2025)
UFC Lightweight Championship: 2022–present
Pound-for-pound ranking: #1 (2023–present per UFC rankings)
Corner: Khabib Nurmagomedov, Javier Mendez
Notable wins: Charles Oliveira (x2), Alexander Volkanovski (x2), Arman Tsarukyan

Islam Makhachev has taken on the weight of following Khabib Nurmagomedov’s legacy and has carried it with distinction. He is not Khabib — he is his own fighter with his own style and identity — but he has upheld the standards that Dagestani MMA set at lightweight and added his own chapter to one of the sport’s most compelling ongoing stories.