In 2025, the United States is down to just one UFC champion, women’s bantamweight titleholder Kayla Harrison. The two-time Olympic gold medalist from Ohio captured the belt at UFC 316 in June when she dethroned Julianna Peña, leaving her as the lone American standing tall among champions across all weight classes and pound-for-pound lists. It’s a surprising shift, considering that back in 2016, more than a dozen Americans held UFC world titles.

Jon Jones, the former pound-for-pound king, was the last American champion from the men’s divisions. But with the 38-year-old officially retiring from MMA in June, only to hint at a comeback weeks later, the landscape has changed drastically. Today, champions from Russia, Australia, and Germany dominate the sport, and Islam Makhachev believes he understands exactly why America is running out of titleholders.

Islam Makhachev suggests U.S. fighters lack the fire to stay on top

A few hours ago, Championship Rounds shared a candid interview on X featuring Dagestan’s former lightweight champion and the #2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Islam Makhachev. He was asked, “There are no American champions left in the UFC. There is Merab [Dvalishvili], he is an American citizen, but in fact, he is Georgian. What do you attribute the decline of American MMA to?” Makhachev pointed to the rise of talent from the Caucasus region, saying, “They just started signing more of our guys, that’s the reason.”

The reporter pressed further, asking, “The first top 4 P4P fighters are from Caucasus. Do you admit that in five years there will be not four, but 10 fighters, for example?” To this, Islam Makhachev confidently replied, “Well, if they keep signing, I am hundred percent sure there will be more champs [from Caucasus.] From Caucasus, Dagestan, Chechnya. No brainer our guys live for this, for this sport. In the USA, for example, they don’t worry, even if they completed bad.” His answer made it clear that he believed there were deeper reasons for the dominance of fighters from his region.

Expanding on his point, Islam Makhachev said, “But behind our guys, there is a family, the whole city, the whole Republic. And he feels this responsibility, and goes out with full responsibility and wins.” The Caucasus region has indeed become a hotbed of champions, producing stars like Merab Dvalishvili and Ilia Topuria from Georgia, as well as new middleweight king Khamzat Chimaev, who hails from Chechnya. Together, they have reshaped the UFC’s pound-for-pound landscape.

Meanwhile, American fans continue to feel the sting of recent losses. At UFC 312, Sean Strickland missed his second chance to claim the middleweight belt, leaving many supporters heartbroken. With the U.S. title drought deepening, fans now look to fighters like Bo Nickal, Sean O’Malley, or even Paddy Pimblett to bring championship gold back home. But beyond the American struggles, another question lingers in the minds of fight fans: while Makhachev carefully avoids talk of a showdown with fellow Russian Khamzat Chimaev, did you ever wonder who between the two is truly the more dangerous fighter?

Why did Chael Sonnen pick Chimaev Over Islam Makhachev?

Some fans were left unimpressed with Khamzat Chimaev’s performance due to the lack of striking exchanges, even though he controlled Dricus du Plessis for an astounding 21 minutes and 40 seconds, the longest control time in UFC history. Since Islam Makhachev shares the same nationality as Chimaev, despite being from a different region, comparisons between the two were inevitable.

Chael Sonnen, however, argued that Makhachev has never displayed the kind of dominance that Chimaev showed at UFC 319. According to Sonnen, assuming both possess the same level of wrestling skill is misleading. The only time Makhachev’s ground game looked overwhelmingly dominant was against Charles Oliveira, but that fight ended in the second round, leaving less room for comparison. This, in Sonnen’s view, makes the case stronger for Chimaev as the superior wrestler.

“To come out of that [UFC 319 main event], all of a sudden, this light goes on and you’re this big fight expert, and, ‘Oh my goodness! Islam has similar skills,’” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel. “I’d have to stop you right there. In what fight has Islam ever taken somebody down and controlled them, similar to the way that Chimaev did to Dricus? Where have you seen that?” He further explained, “Islam did not have a very hard time taking Charles down. With that said, they only hit the ground twice. With that said, the fight was finished… and that one was finished inside seven and a half minutes.”

For now, the debate remains hypothetical. Fans may eventually find out who is the better wrestler if Chimaev makes his way back to welterweight, setting up a potential clash with Islam Makhachev, who is preparing to face Jack Della Maddalena. While Makhachev has already stated he doesn’t want to fight Chimaev, still, in a matchup between the two, who truly has the better power and skills? And more importantly, who do you think would emerge victorious if Islam Makhachev and Khamzat Chimaev ever shared the Octagon?