Islam Makhachev | Celebrity Net Worth 2026

Biography & Early Wealth Journey

Islam Makhachev is the UFC Welterweight Champion and a former UFC Lightweight Champion. After capturing the lightweight belt by submitting Charles Oliveira in 2022, Makhachev made a division-record four successful title defenses before relinquishing the championship in 2025 to move up to welterweight. He defeated Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 to become a two-division UFC champion and successfully defended the welterweight belt against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in August 2026.

The Garry victory was Makhachev's 17th consecutive UFC win, breaking Anderson Silva's longstanding record of 16. His professional record improved to 29-1, with his only loss occurring back in 2015. Makhachev's championship career has been closely intertwined with that of his longtime friend, training partner, and eventual coach Khabib Nurmagomedov. Both were originally trained by Khabib's father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

Early Life and Education

Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev was born on October 27, 1991, in Makhachkala, Dagestan. He was raised in the remote village of Burshi and has an older brother named Kurbanismail. His father worked as a driver and grew tomatoes, while his mother was a homemaker who also operated a small café.

Primary Income Streams & Multi-Million Contracts

Makhachev began practicing taekwondo at approximately seven years old before moving into sanda, a Chinese combat sport incorporating striking and wrestling. He later spent time training in freestyle wrestling.

As a child, Makhachev became acquainted with Khabib Nurmagomedov and the wider Nurmagomedov family. He eventually began training under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the celebrated Dagestani combat-sports coach who developed numerous world-class fighters. Makhachev would become one of Abdulmanap's most successful students.

While pursuing his fighting career, Makhachev attended Dagestan State University, where he studied physical education and sports. He also reportedly worked as a security guard while training and competing.

Combat Sambo

Real Estate, Luxury Assets & Personal Investments

Before reaching the top of mixed martial arts, Makhachev established himself as an elite combat sambo competitor. Sambo, developed in the Soviet Union, combines elements of wrestling, judo, submissions, and, in its combat form, striking.

Makhachev won the 74-kilogram division at the Russian National Combat Sambo Championship in 2014. He repeated the accomplishment in 2016, earning the opportunity to represent Russia at the World Sambo Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria.

At the 2016 World Championships, Makhachev won the combat sambo gold medal at 74 kilograms. He defeated Bulgaria's Valentin Benishev in the final to become a world champion.

Makhachev has continued promoting the sport even after moving entirely into MMA. In 2026, the International Sambo Federation named him a SAMBO Ambassador to the World, and he received the Russian title of Honoured Master of Sport in SAMBO.

Early MMA Career

Makhachev made his professional MMA debut in 2010, defeating Magomed Bekbolatov by decision. He subsequently joined M-1 Global, one of Russia's best-known MMA organizations.

During his years on the Russian regional circuit, Makhachev developed the grappling-heavy style that would eventually make him so difficult to defeat in the UFC. He beat opponents including Tengiz Khuchua, Martiros Grigoryan, Magomed Ibragimov, Mansour Barnaoui, Rander Junio, Yuri Ivlev, and Ivica Trušček.

By the end of 2014, Makhachev had compiled an undefeated 11-0 professional record and attracted the attention of the UFC.

UFC Career

Makhachev made his UFC debut against Leo Kuntz at UFC 187 in May 2015 and won by second-round submission. His next fight produced what remains the only defeat of his professional career. At UFC 192 in October 2015, Adriano Martins knocked Makhachev out in the first round with a counter right hand.

Makhachev responded by beginning one of the longest winning streaks in UFC history. He defeated Chris Wade, Nik Lentz, Gleison Tibau, Kajan Johnson, and others while steadily climbing the lightweight rankings.

His April 2019 fight with Arman Tsarukyan became an important moment for both fighters. Tsarukyan was making his UFC debut, but he pushed Makhachev through a competitive grappling battle before losing by unanimous decision. Both men received Fight of the Night bonuses.

Makhachev then defeated Davi Ramos before the COVID-19 pandemic and various scheduling problems kept him out of competition throughout 2020. He returned in 2021 and accelerated toward title contention, submitting Drew Dober and Thiago Moisés before defeating Dan Hooker with a first-round kimura.

In February 2022, he stopped Bobby Green in the first round, extending his winning streak to ten and setting up his first UFC championship opportunity.

(Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)

UFC Lightweight Championship

Makhachev fought Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 280 in October 2022. Oliveira entered the bout on an 11-fight winning streak and had finished opponents including Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje.

Makhachev controlled the fight before dropping Oliveira with a punch in the second round and submitting him with an arm-triangle choke. The victory earned Makhachev the lightweight championship as well as a $50,000 Performance of the Night bonus.

His first defense came against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, in February 2023. Makhachev won a competitive five-round unanimous decision, and both fighters received $50,000 Fight of the Night bonuses.

The pair met again at UFC 294 eight months later after Volkanovski accepted the fight on short notice. This time, Makhachev ended the bout spectacularly, landing a head kick and follow-up punches for a first-round knockout. The victory earned him another Performance of the Night bonus.

Makhachev made his third defense against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in June 2024. Poirier survived into the fifth round before Makhachev secured a D'Arce choke submission. The fight earned Fight of the Night honors, while Makhachev also collected a Performance of the Night award, adding $100,000 in bonuses to his compensation.

Record-Setting Fourth Lightweight Title Defense

Makhachev was scheduled to rematch Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in January 2025. Tsarukyan withdrew shortly before the event because of a back injury, and Renato Moicano stepped in as the replacement challenger.

The late change made little difference to the champion. Makhachev submitted Moicano with a D'Arce choke at 4:05 of the first round.

The victory gave Makhachev four successful defenses of the UFC Lightweight Championship, breaking the divisional record previously shared by Khabib Nurmagomedov, B.J. Penn, Frankie Edgar, and Benson Henderson. It also extended his UFC winning streak to 15.

After the fight, Makhachev's record stood at 27-1 overall and 16-1 in the UFC.

Move to Welterweight

Rather than continue adding defenses at lightweight, Makhachev decided to pursue a championship in a second division. In May 2025, the UFC announced that he would relinquish his lightweight belt and move to 170 pounds.

That decision opened the lightweight championship for a fight between Charles Oliveira and Ilia Topuria, while Makhachev targeted newly crowned welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena.

The move carried historical significance. Only a relatively small group of fighters had won UFC championships in two different weight classes, including Georges St-Pierre, Khabib's former rival Conor McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo, Jon Jones, and Amanda Nunes.

Welterweight Championship

Makhachev challenged Della Maddalena for the UFC Welterweight Championship at UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden in November 2025.

Despite moving up 15 pounds, Makhachev dominated the champion with a combination of leg kicks, takedowns, ground control, and submission threats. All three judges scored every round in his favor, producing identical 50-45 scorecards.

The victory made Makhachev the 11th fighter in UFC history to win championship gold in two weight classes. It also represented his 16th consecutive UFC victory, tying Anderson Silva's promotional record.

Makhachev made his first welterweight title defense against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia on August 15, 2026. Garry provided a substantially tougher challenge, but Makhachev won a unanimous decision by scores of 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47.

The victory improved Makhachev's professional record to 29-1 and gave him 17 consecutive UFC victories, surpassing Silva and establishing a new promotional record. Makhachev also became one of the small number of UFC competitors to successfully defend championships in two separate weight classes.

UFC Earnings and Endorsements

Exact UFC compensation can be difficult to determine because publicly disclosed purses generally do not include every source of fighter income. Championship-level athletes can receive pay-per-view participation, discretionary payments, sponsorship compensation, promotional bonuses, and other payments in addition to their disclosed purses.

One useful example came at UFC 311 in California, where regulatory disclosures listed Makhachev's purse at $200,000 for his victory over Renato Moicano. That number did not include any pay-per-view participation, sponsorship income, discretionary bonuses, or other undisclosed UFC compensation.

Makhachev has also earned substantial performance bonuses. He received $50,000 for Fight of the Night against Tsarukyan in 2019, $50,000 for his title-winning performance against Oliveira in 2022, $50,000 for his first fight with Volkanovski, another $50,000 for knocking out Volkanovski in their rematch, and $100,000 in combined bonuses against Poirier.

Outside the Octagon, Makhachev has had sponsorship and ambassador relationships with brands and companies including Monster Energy and cryptocurrency project Saitama. He has also been listed as an ambassador for investment firm Elite Capital. The financial terms of those partnerships have not been publicly disclosed.

Khabib Nurmagomedov and Coaching

Makhachev's relationship with Khabib Nurmagomedov extends far beyond the typical relationship between two fighters at the same gym. The pair have known each other since childhood and trained for years under Khabib's father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

After Abdulmanap died in 2020, Khabib increasingly took responsibility for coaching the team's elite fighters. Following his own retirement from MMA with a perfect 29-0 record, Khabib became a central figure in Makhachev's corner alongside American Kickboxing Academy coach Javier Mendez.

The connection produced an unusual succession at the top of the UFC lightweight division. Khabib retired as lightweight champion after three successful title defenses; two years later, Makhachev captured the same belt and eventually surpassed Khabib's divisional record by defending it four times.

National Honors

Makhachev's accomplishments have made him one of Dagestan's most celebrated athletes. Following his lightweight championship victory in 2022, he received the Order "For Merit to the Republic of Dagestan."

In 2023, he received the Sali Suleiman Medal, an honor bestowed by Dagestan's sports authorities. Additional regional honors followed as his championship reign continued.

His success has also brought renewed international attention to Dagestan's combat-sports system and to sambo. In 2026, the International Sambo Federation formally named Makhachev a global ambassador for the sport, shortly before he broke the UFC's all-time consecutive-win record.

Makhachev

Nurmagomedov