Issue 213

February 2025

In a world-exclusive interview with E. Spencer Kyte, Islam Makhachev unpacks his relentless journey to greatness and his bold vision for redefining MMA history.

 Islam Makhachev is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. Even Dana White bent the knee to the idea after the lightweight champion took down and submitted Renato Moicano at UFC 312. The victory was the champion from Dagestan’s fourth consecutive successful title defense, establishing a new record for titleholders in the 155-pound weight class. It broke a four-way tie between B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar, and Benson Henderson. It also extended Makhachev’s winning streak to 15, leaving him one win shy of equaling the record established by Anderson Silva during his historic reign atop the middleweight division. As great as those accomplishments are, it’s more important to Makhachev that he’s living up to the expectations forecasted for him by his late coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedo. And he’s doing it alongside his long-term training partner and coach, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.

THE PRINCE THAT WAS PROMISED

As Nurmagomedov was ascending the ranks in the UFC lightweight division, Makhachev was already being groomed as the heir to the throne, with the elder Nurmagomedov molding the two. Before Nurmagomedov had ascended to the throne, the talk of Makhachev being the successor had not yet begun. They were simply teammates and training partners. But the narrative shifted when Khabib claimed the title at UFC 223.

The spotlight was forked with one team member already stationed atop the division. Nurmagomedov was given his rightful share as the world’s best lightweight, and conversations about his place in the pantheon of all-time greats ramped up. The other half became trained on Makhachev, who had pushed his winning streak inside the Octagon to three and his record to 15-1 overall. 

Each time either man fought, we heard about how Makhachev was next. He would be the one to inherit the throne whenever Nurmagomedov was ready to relinquish the position. The expectation was abdication because being forced from the top of the division by a loss wasn’t something anyone within the team was open to considering.

THE BIG PLAN

Everything adhered to ‘Father’s Plan,’ which was the approach Nurmagomedov and others on the team would take inside the Octagon. The goal was to dominate while taking minimal damage and no unnecessary risks. Use the immense skills and considerable weapons to pile up victories and climb the ranks. Khabib would get the title first, and Islam would follow. This was ‘Father’s Plan.’ And it was being enacted to a tee. Successful title defenses in high-profile pairings with Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier continued to cement Nurmagomedov’s status, with Makhachev continuing to ascend behind him. Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov passed in 2020, succumbing to complications related to COVID-19 at the age of 57. Khabib submitted Justin Gaethje four months later before announcing his retirement. Makhachev, who had pushed his record to 18-1, was up next, the throne abdicated.

A NEW DAWN

In 2021, the spotlight was Makhachev’s alone, and he responded with three straight submission wins. At UFC 280, Makhachev blew through Oliveira, hurting the champion in the first before dropping him and submitting him in the second to win the UFC lightweight title and bring his late coach’s plan to completion.

“That’s the one the saddest moment in my journey, that my coach cannot be next to me at this time and share all the glory with me,” said the lightweight champion, reflecting on his journey just a few weeks after his win over Moicano. “He would be extremely proud. Khabib is an extension of his father. He, as well as Abdulmanap, invested a lot of time, energy, and experience in us, and it gives us that indescribable confidence when he is in the corner.”

UFC/Getty

STANDING WITH GIANTS

While the win over Oliveira elevated Makhachev to the top of the lightweight division, it’s his four fights since that shifted the way the MMA community sees the 33-year-old superstar. In 2023, Makhachev opened the year with a win over Alexander Volkanovski. Though the lightweight champion was retained, Volkanovski earned greater acclaim, having gone up a weight class and hung with the champ while winning the final round. That development didn’t sit well with Makhachev. When the two faced off for a second time, the lightweight ruler won in a manner that left no question of which of the two was the superior talent as he stopped Volkanovski three minutes into the opening round with a left high kick. Last year, he took things up another notch. At UFC 302, Makhachev denied Dustin Poirier the opportunity to finish his story and finally claim championship gold. And then last month, after No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan withdrew from their highly anticipated rematch at UFC 311 the day before the fight, Makhachev rolled through Moicano, turning a high-risk, low-reward pairing into another statement win that cranked up the volume on those discussions of his place amongst the sport’s all-time elite.

“I’m happy that my name will be mentioned in the history of this sport,” began Makhachev when asked about being in the conversation with some of the most accomplished and respected champions in MMA history as one of the greatest fighters of all time. “I’m happy that I have the opportunity to set up a good example and motivate the young generation alongside athletes like Georges St-Pierre and Demetrious Johnson.

“It feels good,” he said regarding being considered the best lightweight of all time. “That means everything I did for the last 25 years was not worthless. To realize that you are best in the world, it’s always good feeling.”

When asked if he believes he does stand atop the division’s all-time ranks, Makhachev quickly acknowledges that he does not stand alone.

“I think me and Khabib are both on this podium,” offered Makhachev. “And I wish our late coach Abdulmanap could witness this today; I know he would be very proud of that.”

There is no question about that. However, what remains unanswered is how far Makhachev can take things. How many more wins can he add to his success, and what challenges does he want to conquer next?

Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

GOING FORWARD

Talking about fighters approaching Silva’s record for the most consecutive victories in UFC history can feel like a jinx, especially given that only one other athlete has gotten this close in the past. As Kamaru Usman was 56 seconds away from equaling Silva’s record with a 16th straight victory at UFC 278, home and cooled on the scorecards before Leon Edwards shocked the world — headshot, dead — to ensure ‘The Spider’ would continue to stand alone for a little longer. Makhachev is now on the precipice of equaling the record, but setting records has never been on his radar. 

“This kind of stat helps you to build a hype,” he said when asked about the consecutive wins mark. “This kind of numbers helps you to build a legacy, but you should never focus on this kind of thing because it may play a bad joke with you. The only thing to focus on is your skills, improving your game, and work more than anybody in this world.

“I never had any intention to set up any records,” continued the lightweight champion, the longest-reigning champion on the UFC roster. “My only goal was to get the title. Everything else just comes along with it. If I set up a historical record, that’s good. That means I’m on my way to the Hall of Fame.”

One could argue that a place in the Hall of Fame is already assured, given that he’s still just 33 years old and has shown no signs of slowing down or wanting to stop.

THE NEXT STEPS

Ever since McGregor became the first to achieve ‘Double Champ’ status in the UFC, claiming a second title has been the mission of seemingly everyone. A handful have successfully followed suit, while a couple of others have come up short, one by Makhachev’s doing, twice. Moving up to challenge for the welterweight title at some point has always been floated as a legitimate option for the pound-for-pound king. There has even been talk of venturing further up the weight classes. 

“I can defend the lightweight title a few more times, but the big goal here is to get another title in the welterweight division and maybe in middleweight,” he said when asked which new goals he’s set for himself since successfully claiming the lightweight title. “It all depends on who is gonna be my next opponent. In the lightweight division, I don’t see any fun matchups at this time, so this is why I’m aiming for the welterweight title. I do really see the way how I can beat Dricus,” he continued, shifting his focus to the 185-pound weight class. “The style that he has is matching my style. I know that he’s a bigger than me, but I work with the middleweights, and I know I can handle them. Sean Strickland, I can finish in the first round,” he added. “It is not even a challenge.”

OPPONENTS? ANYONE? 

When Tsarukyan withdrew from UFC 311, many anticipated that the long-awaited rematch would be rescheduled quickly. White quashed that idea, and Makhachev agreed with him. 

“I’m not interested in another fight with him,” he said of Tsarukyan, who has gone 9-1 since their first meeting in April 2019, with his lone setback coming in a competitive bout with Mateusz Gamrot that many believe he won. “I already beat him back in the day, and I truly believe if I fight happen again, nothing will change. He’s been offered to fight with me multiple times, but he turned down the opportunities, and the last one, he just didn’t show up for the fight. I know there is a reason behind that, and I wish him all the all the best and get well, but ultimately, I have nothing to gain with beating him again.”

Makhachev is content to wait and see how things shake out around him. With Ramadan beginning at the end of February and continuing through March, he won’t be looking to return to action until the summer anyway. Whether his next move is at lightweight, welterweight, or even middleweight remains to be seen, but regardless of weight class or opponent, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport will make the walk with a chance to equal a record set by one of the all-time greats. 

ONE LAST THING

It has to be reiterated how impressive he has lived up to expectations, if not exceeded them. Innumerable athletes in myriad sports have been tagged as ‘the next big thing’ and struggled, not for lack of skill or because they simply flamed out. Take a moment to consider what Makhachev has done. He rose through the ranks behind Nurmagomedov, positioned as his successor while building his resume and working forward in arguably the sport's most competitive and talent-rich division. As soon as the opportunity to fulfill the prophecy presented itself, he raised his level and rattled off nine straight wins and counting. From a sporting standpoint, he’s done what only Tiger Woods and LeBron James have been able to do in their fields: take the tremendous expectations placed upon them and not only make good on them but raise the bar to the point where they are mentioned alongside the luminaries and icons they were once chasing. And there is still more to come.