Islam Makhachev Record: 28-1-0

Lightweight championship reign

Makhachev's title era began at UFC 280 in October 2022, where he submitted Charles Oliveira with a second-round arm-triangle choke to claim the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship. He defended it for the first time in February 2023, edging pound-for-pound great Alexander Volkanovski by unanimous decision in a razor-thin classic at UFC 284. The rematch at UFC 294 in October 2023 was anything but close: Makhachev ended it in the first round with a head-kick knockout, a statement finish that showcased how far his striking had come. He continued the run with a fifth-round D'Arce choke of former champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in June 2024, then opened 2025 with a first-round submission of Renato Moicano at UFC 311. Across this stretch he sat atop the sport's pound-for-pound rankings.

Two-division champion

In November 2025, Makhachev vacated his lightweight belt to chase history at welterweight, and delivered. At UFC 322 he comprehensively outpointed reigning champion Jack Della Maddalena over five rounds to capture a second divisional title, becoming the 11th fighter in UFC history to hold championships in two weight classes and cementing his standing among the era's defining competitors.

Fighting style

Makhachev is one of the most complete grapplers in MMA, pairing a world-class sambo and wrestling base with smothering top control and a patient, high-percentage submission game — 13 of his 28 wins have come by submission. Elite takedown entries and chain wrestling let him dictate where fights happen, while his defensive grappling has kept him almost untouchable on the mat. Increasingly, his striking has become a genuine weapon in its own right, as the first-round head-kick knockout of Volkanovski demonstrated. The result is a measured, cerebral fighter who breaks opponents methodically rather than chaotically.

Career highlights

• Undisputed UFC Lightweight Champion — submitted Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to claim the vacant title, then defended it four times against the division's best.
• Two-division UFC champion — defeated Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 to add the welterweight belt, joining an exclusive group of just 11 fighters to win titles in two weight classes.
• Unbeaten for a decade — has not lost since 2015, building one of the longest and most dominant active win streaks in the sport while spending extended time as the consensus pound-for-pound No. 1.