Islam Makhachev joined the UFC as a young, lively prospect and is currently the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion.
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Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev was born on October 27, 1991. A former Sambo contender, he is a Russian mixed martial artist. He is the current UFC Lightweight Champion and fights in the Lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Makhachev, a professional fighter since 2010, won the combat sambo world championship at 74 kilos in 2016. His position in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings as of November 14, 2022, is #2.
Islam Makhachev began his training in combat sports in his hometown of Burshi, Dagestan, where he was coached by Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov in Combat Sambo. In addition to winning four times as the Russian National Champion, Makhachev also won the World Combat Sambo Federation World Championship and the gold medal in the 2016 FIAS World Combat Sambo Championship.
At UFC 187, Islam faced off against Leo Kuntz and won through rear-naked choke submission in the second round. He then fought Adriano Martins at UC 192, where Martins defeated him by first-round KO to hand him his first professional MMA loss (punch). He gained momentum by prevailing by unanimous decision over Chris Wade and Nik Lentz.
Islam beat Dan Hooker at UFC 267 by kimura submission to extend his winning run to nine matches. He also defeated Bobby Green thereafter. Being given the opportunity to compete for the UFC Lightweight Championship he faced “Do Bronx”. Charles Oliveira was no match for him, and with the victory, he was crowned the UFC Lightweight Champion and his winning streak reached 11.
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Over the years, Makhachev has entered into various endorsement agreements. He has collaborated with well-known organizations including Wahed Invest, Gorilla Energy Drink, and Al Hadaya. Makhachev’s projected net worth as of 2022 is more than $1.2 Million. Given that he is ascending to the top of the division and is going to battle for the UFC world championship, his net worth is predicted to increase dramatically.
He has earned $918500 during his UFC career, according to MMA Salaries and The Sports Daily. His previous highest payday came from his match versus Bobby Green when he received a staggering $211,000 in compensation. But in his latest match against Oliveira, he received a whooping $1 Million which was his highest payout and also, became the new UFC Lightweight Champion.
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