The Dagestan native’s reputation would only continue to grow exponentially starting in 2022, when he decisively scored the 155-pound championship at UFC 280 over favored athlete Charles Oliveira with a second-round submission of “do Bronxs.” What followed that event was nothing short of a dynasty of absolute domination, with Makhachev racking up four consecutive title defenses, defeating Alexander Volkanovski, Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano twice.
With his legacy as an all-time great in both the lightweight category and the sport, he will look to establish himself as the king of a brand new territory when he challenges top welterweight Jack Della Maddalena this Saturday at UFC 322. While this will be his first time fighting in the division, and against one of the best boxers in the organization, Islam Makhachev has already proven himself to be a pound-for-pound threat to any man who faces him in the Octagon.
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Here are all of Islam Makhachev’s current UFC championships ranked:
5. Islam Makhachev vs. Renato Moicano UFC 311
The first pay-per-view event of 2025, UFC 311, would originally see Makhachev fight fellow European stalwart Arman Tsarukyan, who had scored a stunning win over Charles Oliveira the year before at UFC 300. This would be the pair’s second meeting after initially meeting at UFC Fight Night 149 in 2019, with the Russian knocking out the debuting “Ahalkalakets.” Although many were excited for this fantastic rematch to take place, Tsarukyan ultimately withdrew from the match due to an alleged back injury he suffered during training.
Coming into action on one day’s notice was none other than Brazil’s Renato Moicano, who was previously scheduled to battle Beneil Dariush on the main card. At the time of his clash with Makhachev, Moicano was in the midst of a four-fight winning streak, elevated by victories over Brad Riddell, Drew Dober, Jalin Turner and Benoît Saint Denis.
While an initial misstep from the three-time defending gold standard had the crowd on edge, Makhachev definitively proved he is the greatest lightweight of all time by seamlessly dragging Moicano to the ground. The Russian wasted little time, locking in a tight Brabo choke that forced the challenger to tap, ending the fight in just over four minutes and registering his fourth record-breaking belt retention.
The magnitude of Makhachev’s victory cannot be overstated as it earned the Dagestani much notoriety as the only man to put together four title defenses in the 155-pound class, surpassing the record of three held by his friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov. What holds the victory back somewhat, however, is the fact that Makhachev was not up against Tsarukyan, around whom the entire card was built as the most dangerous threat to his reign. Instead, he faced Moicano, who not only didn’t have enough time to prepare for the occasion, but wasn’t even in the top five in the division at the time.
4. Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier UFC 302
The 2024 summer season started with a bang, as UFC 302’s headlining scrap pitted two different generations of top lightweight stars against each other in one of the year’s most entertaining bouts. Makhachev headed to the Octagon for his third championship defense and had plenty of momentum after brutally ending his rivalry with featherweight great Alexander Volkanovski later last year. Across the cage, division darling and former interim king Dustin Poirier waited for him.
During his 14-year tenure in the UFC, Poirier was widely regarded as a huge fan favorite due to his sloppy fighting style and blood-and-guts determination. Although he never quite managed to reach the pinnacle of the lightweight category, ‘The Diamond’ was nonetheless part of some of the greatest battles the Octagon has ever seen. He has also defeated a slew of notable figures such as Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway.
With a dominant and complete performance, Makhachev outmatched his foe in all aspects of the fight. abroad Poirier and more than ten minutes of control time. Although the Louisianan landed a few solid body blows, the champion never seemed to be in any real danger, masterfully ensnaring the American in a Brabo choke to end the night on a colossal high note.
3. Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski II UFC 294
Competing in the first proper promotional superfight in quite some time at UFC 284 in early 2023, Makhachev feuded with 145-lb legend Alexander Volkanovski, narrowly coming to a unanimous decision. Eight months later at UFC 294, the two clashed again after the champion’s original opponent, Charles Oliveira, withdrew from the main event after suffering a cut during his time in camp. In the time between their fights, Volkanovski moved down to featherweight to defend his own title against Yair Rodríguez, knocking out the Mexican in the third round.
While their second meeting should have been a runback to remember, it was somewhat marred by controversy before it even started, after ‘The Great’ signed on as a replacement competitor on just eleven days’ notice, leading many to speculate whether the Australian had enough time to prepare for his second win at the lightweight crown. Those speculations proved correct as Makhachev put the challenger aside with a thumping head kick in just three minutes, making it Volkanovski’s first injury loss in more than a decade.
In the aftermath of the match, Makhachev captured both his second straight championship defense, he also usurped his opponent’s place at the top of the company’s pound-for-pound rankings. He would hold that position for almost two years until he was ousted by Ilia Topuria last summer.
2. Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski I UFC 284
A few months after taking the lightweight throne, Makhachev would make his first belt retention at UFC 284. However, the event saw the Russian not face anyone from his division. Instead, he crossed paths with the lower division champion, a champion who had almost effortlessly moved down the weight class, and that champion was the aforementioned Volkanovski.
While he climbed to the top of the mountain at featherweight in 2019 by conquering the elite Max Holloway, ‘The Great’ had started a warpath through a line of cutthroat challengers, defeating Brian Ortega, The Korean Zombie (Jung Chan-sung) and Holloway twice more. With four defenses under his belt, Volkanovski attempted to cement his name in the history books as one of the few to ever hold two belts simultaneously, taking on the newly minted 155-pound top Makhachev in his native Australia.
Both men lived up to the hype and delivered an absolute classic, with Makhachev in particular demonstrating an increasingly eye-catching game, landing several hard blows on the durable Australian, even briefly dropping him in the first round. Also to his credit, Volkanovski defied the narrative that he had no answer to the Dagestani’s wrestling, stuffing six of his opponent’s takedown attempts. After a hard-fought war and a standing ovation from the crowd, it was Makhachev who raised his hand for the first time to defend his lightweight belt.
1. Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira UFC 280
With a stunning ten-fight undefeated streak, Makhachev had finally earned his long-awaited title shot in 2022 after fighting his way past a bevy of top contenders and contenders like Thiago Moisés, Bobby Green and Dan Hooker. Take a trip to the Etihad Arena In Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the Russian took on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace and former 155-lb gold standard Charles Oliveira.
Oliveira previously won the title with a resounding victory over Bellator icon Michael Chandler at UFC 262, but rose to spectacular heights during one of the most beloved championship reigns in promotional history. The Brazilian held the title for a year, recording one defense against Dustin Poirier before unceremoniously losing it on the scales before clashing with Justin Gaethje at UFC 274, putting him half a pound over the weight limit. Oliveira seemed undeterred by the situation, knocking the American down by a staggering margin before ending the fight with a rear-naked choke in the first round.
With the title up for grabs, the two lightweight titans met in easily the most anticipated lightweight showdown of the second half of 2022. Makhachev pushed the pace early, tapping in with a few big shots to ‘do Bronxs’ before taking him to the canvas. Early in the second, the European managed to land a perfect counter left hook on the downed Oliveira, allowing him to sink into an arm-triangle choke, forcing the Brazilian to tap, cementing his place as the best 155-lb fighter on planet Earth.
Although this match is not one of his entertaining title defenses, it is perhaps the most important championship of Islam Makhachev’s UFC career.
Not only did he earn the title by capping the organization’s all-time leader in submission wins with a submission of his own, it also thrust the Russian into mainstream attention as a pound-for-pound standout. It also kicked off what would become the most dominant championship reign in lightweight history, with the American Kickboxing Academy product amassing four defenses before relinquishing his title to move up in weight and challenge for the welterweight throne.
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