Islam Makhachev

2 divisions · 2010–2026

Makhachkala, then the remote village of Burshi in Dagestan: an ethnic Lak, son of a tomato grower and driver and a mother who ran a small café. He started taekwondo at seven, switched to sanda at school, where he met the Nurmagomedov family, then gave up fighting for two years of football after a move. A year of freestyle wrestling followed, before he turned to mixed martial arts under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. In August 2010, at 18, Islam Makhachev had his first professional MMA fight, in Agvali, Dagestan. Start at fight one and watch his career, one fight at a time.