What’s another exciting part of the UFC besides the action inside the Octagon? Well, it’s the entrances and walkout songs of every fighter. With Islam Makhachev returning for another big-time title defense at UFC 302, today we will be looking at which song the lightweight champion has walked out to in his UFC career.

UFC fighters have walked out to the Octagon to sing some of the most popular songs ever. From Conor McGregor coming out to Sinead O’Connor‘s ‘The Foggy Dew‘ to Israel Adesanya walking out to The Undertaker‘s theme song, fighters try to get fans locked into their fights by coming out to different songs for each fight. However, things aren’t the same for Islam Makhachev because he loves only one song and has walked out to that song multiple times.

What is Islam Makhachev’s walkout song?

Unlike other fighters who like to mix and match their walkout songs, the reigning lightweight champion likes to keep things as simple as he can. Islam Makhachev seems to love the song ‘Lezginka‘, which is a composition by Russian artist Ahiska, who has only three songs to his name. The song is wildly popular among the Russian masses, as it has over 14 million views on YouTube. But what does ‘Lezginka’ mean?

Well, ‘Lezginka’, according to Encyclopedia Britannica, is a folk dance originating in the North Caucasus, which is a Western Asian region governed by Russia. It is also popular in the Russian region of Dagestan, Islam Makhachev’s native land, Ingushetia, Chechnya, and even in the northern parts of Azerbaijan.

It is important to note that ‘Lezginka’ is a collection of all the dance forms in the North Caucasus, and this term was coined by the Russians almost 100–200 years ago and was characterized as having a fast rhythm. As such, Islam Makhachev always likes to show representation in the UFC by showing the cultural aspects of his community through his walkout song.

But he may not do this too long because Makhachev’s mother had asked him to call his UFC career quits, just like his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov.

The UFC champion’s mother wants him to retire

Becoming a champion and the best pound-for-pound fighter in Dana White‘s promotion may not be enough for Islam Makhachev, but it was for his mother. A year ago, the Dagestan native told UFC Russia that his mother does not even watch any MMA fights. If you’re wondering why, it’s because not everybody, including Makhachev’s mother, likes watching people get constantly banged on their face and body with kicks and punches.

Furthermore, after the reigning champion won the strap at UFC 280, his mother suggested that he’d achieved enough in mixed martial arts, so he should consider hanging up his gloves, just like Khabib Nurmagomedov.

“She doesn’t like seeing people hit each other. When I came home there were a lot of people there. [My mother] said, ‘You’re a champion now. Wrap it up. Khabib listened to his mother,'” stated Islam Makhachev. However, the Dagestan native successfully convinced his parents that he wanted to defend his title like his mentor, to which she reluctantly agreed.

UFC 302, without a doubt, will be Islam Makhachev’s toughest outing to date. Defeating Dustin Poirier will be a big addition to the list of fighters he’s defeated throughout his career. Can he overcome ‘The Diamond’ on June 1? Share with us your predictions for the UFC 302 headliner.