Islam Makhachev News

Adam D Martin - July 16, 2021

The official weigh-ins for UFC Vegas 31 took place on Friday in Las Vegas, Nevada, and all 22 fighters scheduled to compete have made weight. In the main event of the evening, No. 9 ranked UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev puts his seven-fight win streak on the line when he takes on the No. 14 ranked Thiago Moises. Makhachev and Moises both successfully made weight on Friday, with each man coming in at 155.5lbs and 156lbs, respectively. This will be the first five-round fight for each fighter during their UFC careers and the winner should get a top-10 opponent. Keep in mind the original main event for UFC Vegas 31 was supposed to be Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez, but that fight fell off and Makhachev and Moises got bumped up.

Adam D Martin - July 16, 2021

Top contender Islam Makhachev says he plans on smashing Thiago Moises at UFC Vegas 31 and then fight for the UFC lightweight title in 2022. Makhachev is the No. 9 ranked lightweight on the UFC roster and this Saturday night he takes on the No. 14 ranked Moises in the main event of the UFC Vegas 31 event. Makhachev is 8-1 overall in the UFC and currently riding a seven-fight win streak, so a victory over Moises would give him a very impressive resume and some will argue that he deserves to fight for the belt. With Makhachev’s longtime friend, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, now retired, Makhachev has a clear path to the belt.

Cole Shelton - July 15, 2021

Islam Makhachev is hoping to fight Tony Ferguson after UFC Vegas 31. Makhachev is set to headline the Fight Night card on Saturday against Thiago Moises. If the Dagestani native wins, it’s likely he will get a top-ranked opponent and he’s hoping to face Ferguson next time out so he can finally retire him.

Adam D Martin - July 15, 2021

Islam Makhachev would “maul” Charles Oliveira and “finish” Dustin Poirier, says former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. Makhachev returns to the Octagon this Saturday night in the main event of UFC Vegas 31 against fellow top-15 ranked lightweight Thiago Moises. For Makhachev, he is now 8-1 in the UFC and currently riding a seven-fight win streak, so a win over Moises will likely earn him an elite opponent his next time out. With Nurmagomedov now retired, Makhachev has a clear path to get to the top of the division without fighting his friend and training partner.

Cole Shelton - July 13, 2021

Thiago Moises didn’t expect to fight Islam Makhachev next time out but immediately accepted the scrap when it was offered to him at UFC Vegas 31. Moises, who is on a three-fight winning streak and coming off a win over Alexander Hernandez, figured he’d fight someone ranked right near him. Yet, when he got the call to fight Makhachev, it was an immediate yes for the Brazilian.

Cole Shelton - June 23, 2021

Islam Makhachev will get the chance to headline his first UFC card. According to John Morgan of MMAJunkie, Makhachev vs. Thiago Moises has been promoted to the main event of UFC Vegas 31 on July 17. The original main event saw Max Holloway vs. Yair Rodriguez, yet Holloway was forced out of the fight due to an injury. Damon Martin of MMAFighting later reported that Giga Chikadze was offered and agreed to headline the card against Rodriguez but the fight was not made leaving Makhachev vs. Moises to be the main event.

Harry Kettle - May 18, 2021

Daniel Cormier believes that Islam Makhachev is receiving the “Kamaru Usman” treatment by suggesting nobody in the top 15 wants to fight him. Makhachev, who is currently riding a seven-fight win streak in the UFC, is set to fight Thiago Moisés this July in a bout that has left many fans confused. While Thiago is certainly a worthy opponent, the popular opinion seems to be that Makhachev could quite easily be booked against someone placed higher up in the 155-pound division.

Adam Martin - May 16, 2021

UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev reacted after Charles Oliveira defeating Michael Chandler at UFC 262, telling him “see you soon.” Oliveira pulled off an incredible win over Chandler at Saturday’s big UFC pay-per-view card when he was able to finish him with strikes in the second round for his ninth straight win. With UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov retiring from the sport a few months back and giving up his title, Oliveira is now the undisputed champion at 155lbs. It’s an incredible accomplishment and he deserves to take some time off to enjoy the belt. But there are plenty of contenders who are eagerly waiting to fight him, including Makhachev.

Cole Shelton - March 23, 2021

Islam Makhachev believes he will face a top-10 opponent next time out. At UFC 259, Makhachev dominated Drew Dober en route to a third-round submission win. The victory extended his winning streak to seven in a row and is looking to fight a top-ranked opponent. The goal was to rebook the Rafael dos Anjos fight this summer in the main event spot, but he is also open to fighting anyone in the top-10.

Adam D Martin - March 23, 2021

Islam Makhachev says that divisional rival Michael Chandler doesn’t deserve to fight Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title. Last week, Makhachev’s good friend, former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, announced his retirement from MMA. That means the 155lbs belt is now vacated, and the promotion quickly moved to book Chandler vs. Oliveira in the main event of UFC 262 in Houston for the vacant title. It’s a great fight on paper between two of the top-five ranked lightweights in the UFC, but some believe it wasn’t the right fight to make.

Adam Martin - March 10, 2021

UFC lightweight Rafael dos Anjos says he is open to fighting Islam Makhachev but there is a special condition that needs to be met first. Dos Anjos and Makhachev were supposed to meet back at UFC 254 in October and then at a UFC Fight Night card in November, but the fight was postponed and eventually scratched. Dos Anjos instead fought Paul Felder and beat him by split decision, while Makhachev returned to the Octagon this past Saturday at UFC 259, defeating Drew Dober via third-round submission.

Tom Taylor - March 9, 2021

Former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos isn’t buying the hype surrounding rising contender Islam Makhachev. Makhachev, a long-time friend and training partner of Khabib Nurmagomedov, returned to the cage on the UFC 259 main card last Saturday in Las Vegas, where he picked up an impressive submission victory over Drew Dober.

Adam D Martin - March 7, 2021

UFC lightweight contender Islam Makhachev shared his dream fight inside the Octagon following his dominant win over Drew Dober at UFC 259. Makhachev dominated Dober with his grappling skills on the UFC 259 pay-per-view card, controlling Dober on the mat until finding a submission in the third round with the arm-triangle choke. It was the seven straight win for Makhachev, who improved to 8-1 overall in the UFC with the victory. By beating a respected veteran such as Dober in the fashion that he did, Makhachev likely earned himself a step up in competition against someone in the top-10 of the stacked UFC lightweight division. He even has a name in mind.

Christopher Taylor - March 6, 2021

A key lightweight bout between Islam Makhachev and Drew Dober took place on tonight’s UFC 259 main card from Las Vegas. Makhachev had entered tonight’s contest sporting an overall record of 18-1. In his most recent effort at UFC 242, the Russian standout picked up a unanimous decision victory over Davi Ramos.

Cole Shelton - March 4, 2021

Drew Dober always had his eye on Islam Makhachev. On the main card of Saturday’s stacked UFC 259 event, Dober is set to return against Makhachev. Although not many were interested in fighting the Russian, Dober was the one who asked for this fight.

Cole Shelton - March 1, 2021

Khabib Nurmagomedov believes no one will beat his pupil, Islam Makhachev. Makhachev is the main training partner of Nurmagomedov and many call him his protégé. Since “The Eagle” retired, he also passed along the torch to Makhachev who many inside AKA believe is destined to be a future champion. Although he is still ranked outside the top-10, Nurmagomedov believes his fellow Dagestani native will be the champion by the end of 2021.

Adam Martin - January 3, 2021

MMA analyst Daniel Cormier praised Islam Makhachev, suggesting the AKA product is one of the most talented fighters in the world. Cormier and Makhachev are teammates at American Kickboxing Academy, alongside UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. With the champion contemplating retirement, fans and media have wondered who could make a run up the division if Nurmagomedov does indeed hang up his gloves. One of those fighters could be Makhachev, the No. 13 ranked UFC lightweight. The Russian is 7-1 overall in the UFC and is in his prime at 29 years old.

Adam Martin - December 11, 2020

A highly-intriguing lightweight bout between top-15 ranked fighters Islam Makhachev and Drew Dober has been added to UFC 259. ESPN’s Brett Okamoto confirmed the fight between Makhachev and Dober, which is likely to take place at UFC 259 on March 6. There is no main event for that card currently set, but UFC president Dana White previously said the UFC is targeting a heavyweight title rematch between Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou for the March PPV event.