Who would have thought that when Khabib Nurmagomedov walked away from the UFC, unscathed and undefeated, his protege would step up, take his place, and display similar skills and domination within the ring? The fighter in question is the current UFC lightweight champion from Dagestan, Islam Makhachev.

When Nurmagomedov was fighting in the Octagon, Islam Makhachev would watch him and learn. Now, it is his turn and he has done more than just prove himself within the ring. Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, was the mentor and coach for both fighters and today, we shall learn more about this Dagestani champion.

Islam Makhachev’s personal life  and family

Although Islam Makhachev is a household name in MMA, anyone and everyone who watches UFC knows of him. That being said, there is very little that the world knows about his personal life, or who he is when he is not fighting in the Octagon. In fact, a lot of his fans also didn’t know that the Dagestani champion was married and had kids.

Considering the cultural norms that Makhachev was brought up in, it is not surprising to see that the athlete has chosen to keep his family and personal life away from the limelight. Islam Makhachev got married to his current wife on 8 April 2021. Their wedding took place in Makhachkala in Dagestan, in a luxurious hotel. They had invited thousands of people as guests to their wedding. Little is known about his marriage and his wife, but videos and clippings of his wedding have gone viral on the internet.

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Guests at Makhachev’s wedding included Khabib Nurmagomedov and Zubaira Tukhugov as well. It was a lavish wedding that took place on 8 April.

Does Islam Makhachev have kids?

While, officially, there has been no mention of the children that Islam Makhachev has with his wife, there is a video where the Dagestani champion is seen talking about his daughter.

At UFC 280, Makhachev defeated Charles Oliveira and in the post-fight interview, the interviewer asked Makhachev how he was feeling about the fact that he could go home to his daughter with his belt. Makhachev replied saying that he was really looking forward to spending some quality time with her and his mother and father.

Therefore, it is clear that Islam Makhachev and his wife have a beautiful daughter, whom he loves very much. However, Makhachev has always kept his life very private, and this was the first time the world got to know that Makhachev had a daughter.

Islam Makhachev’s early life

Islam Makhachev was born into this world on 27 September 1991, in Makhachkala, Dagestan ASSR. However, he did most of his growing up in the village of Burshi. During his early years, he used to train in combat sambo which is a form of combat that originated in Russia.

Islam Makhachev confessed that while growing up he used to get into a lot of scuffles with people in Burshi. Apparently, everyone was under the impression that he was weak since he relocated from an urban area (Makhachkala, Dagestan).

Charles Oliveira, Who Holds UFC’s Highest Submissions, Doesn’t Pose Any Dangers for Islam Makhachev, Claims Dagestani’s Teammate

While growing up Islam Makhachev’s parents had just about enough to meet the basic necessities of life. Although Makhachev was always interested in combat sports, he took his time in deciding to take up wrestling or sambo as a profession. Then, a certain UFC fighter entered his life, who pushed him to become who he is today – a world champion in the UFC.

How did Islam Makhachev meet Khabib Nurmagomedov?

A lot of people think that Makhachev and Nurmagomedov became friends when they started training at the AKA gym or under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. However, that is not the truth. Apparently, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev have been really close friends since childhood – for 20 long years, they have known each other and have trained together.

According to sources, Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov were neighbors. What’s more is that both Dagestani fighters went to the same school, together. It was Khabib ‘The Eagle’ Nurmagomedov who actually pushed or encouraged Makhachev to pursue MMA.

Then, Islam Makhachev started training under Khabib Nurmagomedov. During this time, Nurmagomedov was still competing. Then, Khabib Nurmagomedov became his all-time coach. Then, to take it to the next level, Islam Makhachev joined Khabib Nurmagomedov, and both of them were trained by Khabib Nurmagomedov’s father.

Since then, the two have been inseparable. Now, not only are the two really good friends, but they are teammates and sparring partners as well. In fact, there are rumors suggesting that Khabib Nurmagomedov might come back to the UFC – not as a fighter but to support Islam Makhachev in his rematch against Charles Oliveira, which is scheduled to be held on UFC 294, in Abu Dhabi.

Having spent almost an entirety of their life together, the two friends also share a deep bond when it comes to combat. After ‘The Eagle’ shockingly announced his retirement at UFC 254, Makhachev went on to clinch the promotion’s lightweight title; and in doing so, debates around the similarities between the two have been a major point of discussion for MMA fans.

How do you think Islam Makhachev will fare in this rematch against Oliveira? Will he retain his title? Will we get to know more about his daughter?

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