Islam Makhachev is just days away from his showdown with Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322, set to take place this Saturday night at MSG in New York. The former lightweight king now aims to etch his name among the elite few—Conor McGregor, Alex Pereira, and others—who have captured titles in two weight divisions. However, before stepping into the Octagon, the Dagestani powerhouse surprised fans with an impressive display of raw strength. 

ESPN has often highlighted UFC fighters testing their grip strength. Alex Pereira previously posted an effortless 159.2 lbs, while Khalil Rountree Jr. topped the leaderboard with a staggering 166.2 lbs. Although Islam Makhachev couldn’t quite break the record, his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, was determined to see him try and pass it off as if he did. The big question remains, though, how much did Makhachev score?

Islam Makhachev beats Alex Pereira

Since ESPN’s grip test, Ali Abdelaziz took to X to proudly share Makhachev’s impressive achievement, posting an image of the moment. “[Islam Makhachev] just broke Khalil Rountree’s ESPN Grip Strength record; the previous record was 157, the new record is now 161,” Abdelaziz wrote.

In a follow-up tweet, he corrected himself, writing, “My bad Khalil’s record was 166.2, my bad. But this is [still] impressive for a lightweight.” While Makhachev did surpass Pereira’s mark, he still fell short of Rountree Jr.’s top score. Regardless, the feat quickly went viral across social media.

However, the conversation soon shifted when fans began noticing what Makhachev was wearing on his wrist. An account named ‘Super Fan’ on X shared a close-up from the ESPN Grip Test, pointing out that the Dagestani sambo specialist appeared to be sporting an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak Concept watch worth over $500,000. “Islam Makhachev just casually rocking a $500,000 Audemars Piguet watch,” they wrote.

The Royal Oak Concept line, launched in 2002 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Gérald Genta’s original 1972 design, is known as a laboratory for Audemars Piguet’s cutting-edge R&D innovations. Still, Islam Makhachev remains widely respected for his humility and grounded personality. Ultimately, Makhachev’s grip strength triumph ended up taking a back seat to his luxury timepiece, which became the real talking point among fans.

Fans refuse to believe Makhachev would spend that money

Since the post, several fans came forward to share their thoughts. One user speculated that a friend may have gifted the watch to Makhachev. “He doesn’t seem like the guy who would spend such money on a watch, I think maybe his friends from Dubai gifted him,” the user commented. A good guess, considering how revered the Khabib camp is in the Middle East. Makhachev’s mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, recently signed a deal with a Dubai-based company.

Another fan had the same idea. “Gotta be a gift. He’s not that flashy,” they wrote. However, Makhachev could have splashed a little, especially after the success he found in UFC. The former champion has been spotted wearing luxury timepieces many times.

Watch enthusiasts have identified models like the Richard Mille RM 11-03 “McLaren Automatic” and Richard Mille  RM 67-02 “Sebastian Ogier” with a combined value of nearly a million dollars. He has also sported Rolex models like the Submariner Date “126610LN” and the Rolex GMT-Master II “Batgirl”, and on one occasion, an $85K worth Patek Philippe Aquanaut.

The general consensus, however, remains that these are all likely to be gifts from rich fans. “I believe it was a gift from his rich fans,” one user commented. Islam Makhachev is one of the luckier UFC fighters to have received such gifts. Most recently, Brendan Allen received a $130K worth Rolex Daytona from his brother after beating Reinier De Ridder at UFC Vancouver. Other big names like Conor McGregor and Alex Pereira have also received expensive timepieces as gifts. But that’s not the only way a fighter could sport a luxury watch.

This next fan thought someone may have lent it to Makhachev. “Someone probably lent it or gave it to him. No way he paid for that.”  And while everyone else was in disbelief, this user decided to throw an insult. “I know 100$ watches that look better than this,” their comment read.

Having said that, it appears Islam Makhachev came really close to beating ESPN’s Grip Strength record held by Khalil Rountree, but couldn’t. Even worse, the moment got overshadowed by his watch, which fans don’t want to believe is his. But what do you think?