Islam Makhachev

Makhachev controlled the fight on the feet and on the mat across five gruelling rounds before sinking in a D'Arce choke late in the championship rounds to finish Poirier and retain his title in his toughest defence to date.

Key moments

• Controlled Poirier with wrestling and top pressure across five rounds.
• Locked in the D'Arce choke late in round five for the submission finish.
• Retained the lightweight title against one of the division's most decorated challengers.

Makhachev closed the rematch with clinical violence, dropping Volkanovski with a left hook and finishing with ground punches inside four minutes of round one to retain his title emphatically and silence all remaining doubts.

Key moments

• Dropped Volkanovski with a sharp left hook.
• Finished with ground-and-pound to record a first-round knockout.
• Defended the lightweight title with the most emphatic finish of his career.

Makhachev defended his lightweight title in a highly competitive five-round battle, controlling the fight with his wrestling while surviving Volkanovski's dangerous counter-striking to win a unanimous decision in Australia.

Key moments

• Controlled the majority of exchanges with wrestling and top pressure.
• Survived Volkanovski's sharp counter-striking to manage distance throughout.
• Won by unanimous decision to make his first successful title defence.

Makhachev survived early submission danger from Oliveira — including a tight guillotine in round one — then secured his own arm-triangle choke in round two to become the undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion.

Key moments

• Survived an early guillotine attempt from Oliveira in round one.
• Secured the arm-triangle choke finish in round two to win the title.
• Became the UFC Lightweight Champion, continuing the Dagestani dominance of the division.

Makhachev shot for an immediate takedown, secured top position, and landed damaging ground-and-pound to stop Green early in round one in a dominant display that put him on the doorstep of a title shot.

Key moments

• Secured an early takedown and controlled on the mat.
• Finished with ground-and-pound to record a first-round TKO.
• Moved to seven consecutive wins and into title contention.

Makhachev took Hooker down and isolated his arm with a tight kimura that snapped almost immediately, stopping the fight inside the first round and continuing his finishing streak.

Key moments

• Secured the takedown and isolated the arm quickly.
• Locked in the kimura, which snapped to force the referee stoppage at 4:10.
• Sixth consecutive win, all by finish.

Makhachev dominated Moises with wrestling and ground control across four rounds before finishing with a rear-naked choke in the championship round, continuing his path toward a title shot.

Key moments

• Controlled Moises with consistent wrestling and positional dominance.
• Locked in the rear-naked choke in the fourth round for the submission finish.
• Moved to five consecutive finishes to stake his title claim.

Dober landed some early striking but Makhachev weathered it and took him down, eventually working into the arm-triangle position and finishing in round three to extend his winning streak.

Key moments

• Absorbed early striking from Dober before taking him to the mat.
• Worked patiently to the arm-triangle position.
• Finished with the submission in round three.

Against a Brazilian jiu-jitsu specialist known for dangerous submissions, Makhachev controlled the grappling exchanges throughout, avoiding Ramos's attempts from the bottom and winning a clear unanimous decision.

Key moments

• Controlled the grappling against a dangerous submission specialist.
• Neutralised Ramos's jiu-jitsu threats while maintaining top position.
• Won a clean unanimous decision to move to eight fights without a loss since his only defeat.

In the UFC debut of highly touted prospect Arman Tsarukyan, Makhachev faced the first fighter to ever take him down in the UFC. The fight was competitive and chaotic — Tsarukyan pushed the pace and created scrambles throughout — but Makhachev's submission attempts and overall control earned him the unanimous decision. Both fighters received Fight of the Night bonuses.

Key moments

• Survived being taken down by Tsarukyan, the first time he had been taken down in the UFC.
• Consistently threatened with submission attempts from various positions throughout the fight.
• Won a unanimous decision in a Fight of the Night performance against the best UFC debut in years.

Makhachev shot for a takedown and secured top position before isolating Johnson's arm for a quick armbar submission in the opening round.

Key moments

• Secured the takedown and transitioned to the armbar quickly.
• Finished by armbar at 3:20 of round one.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Kajan Johnson.

Makhachev landed a clean left hook that dropped Tibau, then finished with follow-up punches to record a first-round knockout against the experienced Brazilian veteran.

Key moments

• Dropped Tibau with a clean left hook.
• Finished with ground-and-pound to record the KO at 2:28 of round one.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Gleison Tibau.

Makhachev outgrappled the experienced Lentz across three rounds, controlling position and advancing his ground game to win a unanimous decision.

Key moments

• Controlled the grappling exchanges with superior wrestling.
• Won all three rounds on the judges' scorecards for a unanimous decision.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Nik Lentz.

Makhachev imposed his wrestling game from the opening bell, controlling Wade and winning a clear unanimous decision to move to 3-1 in the UFC.

Key moments

• Dominated with wrestling and top control throughout.
• Won a unanimous decision to bounce back from his only UFC loss.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Chris Wade.

In only his second UFC appearance, Makhachev was caught by a short left hook from Martins and stopped by follow-up punches inside two minutes, suffering the only loss of his professional career.

Key moments

• Was caught by a short left hook that put him in trouble.
• Stopped by follow-up punches at 1:31 of round one — his only professional loss.
• Islam Makhachev took a loss against Adriano Martins.

Makhachev debuted in the UFC with a wrestling-heavy performance, taking Kuntz down repeatedly before finishing with a rear-naked choke late in round two.

Key moments

• Controlled the fight with wrestling and takedowns throughout.
• Finished with a rear-naked choke at 4:47 of round two on UFC debut.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Leo Kuntz.

In his final pre-UFC outing, Makhachev weathered three rounds before locking in a triangle choke late in the third against an experienced European opponent, closing out his regional career with his fifth submission victory — a run that drew the attention of the UFC matchmakers.

Key moments

• Worked through two competitive rounds against a battle-tested European fighter.
• Locked in the triangle choke at 4:45 of round three to seal win number eleven.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Ivica Trušček.

A swift first-round armbar finish at M-1 Challenge 49 continued the submission-heavy style that would define Makhachev's UFC career.

Key moments

• Secured the takedown and isolated the arm quickly.
• Finished by armbar in the first round.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Yuri Ivlev.

Makhachev controlled three rounds of wrestling and top position against Brazilian journeyman Rander Junio at M-1 Challenge 41, earning a clean unanimous decision to move to nine consecutive wins.

Key moments

• Controlled the fight with wrestling and positional dominance throughout.
• Won a unanimous decision to extend his unbeaten streak to nine.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Rander Junio.

Makhachev outworked Mansour Barnaoui — an Algerian prospect who would go on to compete across Europe's top regional promotions — across three rounds at M-1 Challenge 38, earning a unanimous 30-27 decision. A meaningful early-career benchmark against a tested opponent.

Key moments

• Controlled Barnaoui with wrestling and top pressure for three rounds.
• Won a clean 30-27, 30-27, 30-27 unanimous decision.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Mansour Barnaoui.

A dominant first-round armbar at Lion's Fights 2 in Saint Petersburg — future site of his Fight of the Night against Tsarukyan — continued Makhachev's pattern of swift submission wins in Russian regional competition.

Key moments

• Secured the takedown and moved to the armbar position cleanly.
• Finished by armbar at 3:17 of round one.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Anatoly Kormilkin.

At the inaugural Siberian Fighting Championship, Makhachev worked to the back late in the first round and locked in a rear-naked choke for his fourth submission finish, capping a year in which he went 4-0.

Key moments

• Worked to the back late in the first round.
• Secured the rear-naked choke at 4:25 for the submission win.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Migel Grigoryan.

In his toughest test to that point, Makhachev earned a split decision over Vladimir Egoyan at ProFC 29 — the closest result of his pre-UFC career — demonstrating the competitive edge that would serve him through the difficult stretches of his UFC run.

Key moments

• Ground through a genuinely competitive three-round fight against Egoyan.
• Won by split decision — the closest verdict of his unbeaten regional career.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Vladimir Egoyan.

Back in the Dagestani regional promotion where he had debuted, Makhachev submitted Magomed Ibragimov with a triangle choke in round two, adding to a submission repertoire that already spanned armbars and rear-naked chokes.

Key moments

• Controlled the first round before hunting submissions.
• Locked in the triangle choke at 3:15 of round two.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Magomed Ibragimov.

A first-round TKO at ProFC 28 demonstrated that the then-19-year-old Makhachev could also finish with striking. The stoppage at 2:52 moved him to 3-0 to start his professional career.

Key moments

• Landed damaging punches to hurt Grigoryan early in the first round.
• Forced the referee stoppage at 2:52 of round one.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Martiros Grigoryan.

Makhachev appeared on an M-1 Global card and delivered a first-round knockout, dropping Khuchua with punches and finishing with ground-and-pound for his second professional win.

Key moments

• Dropped Khuchua with punches in the opening round.
• Finished with ground-and-pound for the first-round KO.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Tengiz Khuchua.

Islam Makhachev made his professional MMA debut at the age of 18 at Tsumada Fighting Championship 4 in his home region of Dagestan, winning a two-round unanimous decision over Magomed Bekbolatov to begin an unbeaten run that would stretch all the way to UFC 192.

Key moments

• Made his professional MMA debut at 18 years old in Dagestan.
• Won a two-round unanimous decision to begin an undefeated career.
• Islam Makhachev recorded a win over Magomed Bekbolatov.