Islam Makhachev vacated his lightweight title for a legacy much more valuable than holding onto a belt. Entering Madison Square Garden on the night of UFC 322, Makhachev added, “I don’t lose my belt to anyone. I’m just coming to get second one.” Sure enough, he not only secured the welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena, but also lined his pocket with one of the biggest paydays of the year.

The Dagestani wrestler relied heavily on back-to-back takedowns and ground-and-pound to dominate the rounds. At the end of the night, Makhachev added $3,332,000 to his bank account: $800K show money and $2.5 million in PPV shares. One of the richest names in MMA from Russia, Makhachev, is ready to put that to use, splurging nearly a fifth of his paycheck at the Richard Mille boutique.

Islam Makhachev adds a new Richard Mille watch to his collection

Insane Luxury Life on Instagram shared a video clip of Makhachev at the Richard Mille boutique in New York, one of the finest Swiss watchmakers. He unboxed the RM 35-03 Rafael Nadal in White Quartz TPT/Carbon TPT. But it’s not so much the names as much as the price tag that stuns at over $295,000 retail and $550,000 market price. That comes at 16.6% of his UFC 322 paycheck. Surely, even beyond the cage, Makhachev doesn’t shy away from making a statement.

Made from exotic materials used in aerospace and Formula 1, the quartz/carbon blend makes the watch extremely light on the wrist. That’s an ironic payback for the title Makhachev secured owing to his heavy top-half guard pressure. However, the watch offers much more than that, specifically the Butterfly Rotor technology.

The patented technology allows the wearer to control the rotor’s movements. Built with two pivoting wings, open wings give complete freedom to the weighted rotor inside. Closing them, however, restricts jerks and sudden movements, making it suitable for training and SNC. Made for tennis ace Rafael Nadal, the watch is apparently serving generations of athletes, and now the welterweight, Makhachev.

But this is not Makhachev’s first time owning a Richard Mille marvel. In fact, he has flaunted even more eye-popping price tags, including the $1.5 million RM 62-01. Whether he got it as a gift or bought it himself, the Richard Mille masterpiece sparked some mixed reactions from fans. But while Makhachev is treating himself with luxe watches, the true highlight of the big fight goes beyond Richard Mille.

Islam Makhachev continues ‘The Eagle’s legacy

Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, the undefeated lightweight Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, believed in legacy and character more than any amount of superficial titles. “My father told me, … ‘We are living in this life, not to become good athletes … we are living this life to become good Muslims,’” the 29-0 athlete made clear on their training philosophy. Matching just that, Makhachev has done what only the rarest of the elites have succeeded: becoming the 10th male fighter to hold titles in two different weight classes.

Doing so, he eclipsed the achievements of his mentor and training partner, Khabib Nurmagomedov. He did that in classic Makhachev style, ending all debates over whether the Dagestani dominance was starting to catch dust after Alex Pereira finished Magomed Ankalev by TKO in just the first round in UFC 320. Half-guard and grape vining his legs from top, Makhachev maintained top pressure and tired out Jack Della Maddalena. Winning by unanimous decision, Makhachev secured his second belt. Needless to say, this was a huge emotional payoff for the years of early morning cold baths and training on the Russian mountains.

Fighting back his tears, Makhachev told the post-fighter presser, “This is a dream. All of my work for these two belts. I am really happy. The belt is so heavy and I like it. I worked hard for this moment. My life has changed. No cut weight, five rounds non-stop, I can wrestle, I can do whatever I want. This is my plan. It’s not a secret. My opponents all know this and nobody can stop it.”

That isn’t much of an overstatement either, with the UFC double champ defending his title in his opponents’ disciplines. Victory against Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 was a prime example of Makhachev’s dominance, after he finished the jiu-jitsu black belt with a clean arm-triangle. His striking doesn’t fall behind either, as proven in the UFC 294 win against Alexander Volkanovski.

“I’m going to defend my belt many, many times more,” Islam Makhachev left the Octagon with this spine-chilling statement, which sounded more like a prophecy. Will he be able to live up to that?