How Islam Makhachev’s Loss Shaped His Career and Made Him a Champion

The full name of Islam Makhachev is Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev, born on 27 October 1997 in a small village in Russia named Makhachkala. His father is a farmer who owns his land where he grows tomatoes, chilies, potatoes, and other vegetables. His mother is a housewife and takes care of his family and relatives. His elder brother’s name is Qurban Ismail, and he worked two jobs to support his brother’s training in his early days. Islam Makhachev loss acts as the turning point in his professional MMA career. He is currently fighting in the lightweight division of the UFC and Pound for Pound No.1 in the UFC. Now he is looking forward to jumping to welterweight to get two titles.

Total	28
Wins	27
By Knockout	5
By Submission	11
By Decision	11
Losses	1
By Knockout	1
Result	27-1-0

The Loss That Shaped a Champion

Islam Makhachev’s only professional loss came at UFC 192. He was knocked out by Adriano Martins in round 1st. Islam Makhachev loss made him what he is now. Since then, he has overcome his weakness and made himself so strong that till now he has never lost any fight. Islam Makhachev loss made him so strong and capable of overcoming his weakness that he is now on a 15-win streak and the UFC lightweight Division Champion.

Analysis of Islam Makhachev Loss

The fight was during the early days of Makhachev’s professional career he did not have enough experience at that time. The whole fight is entertaining, but when we talk about Islam Makhachev loss, it becomes more interesting. When we look closely at the fight, we see:

• Every time Adriano Martin steps in, Islam throws a fake jab at him, followed by his overhead. He forced Adriano to step back.
• He repeated the combination again and again. Adriano noticed the pattern, and when the next time Islam threw a fake jab at him the next time, Adriano went halfway back, making Islam miss Overhead.
• This time, Islam’s face was exposed. Adriano goes for the Right Hook and knocks him out.

His mindset and team response

In his recent podcast with Daniel Cormier:

DC: “You have one loss, right? After losing that fight, what did you have to change about anything to put you on the streak that you’re on now, nine in a row?”

Islam: “Before this fight, I think nobody can stop me. I can do whatever I want, but these small MMA gloves are very dangerous because every punch is gonna be dangerous. That’s why I am changing a lot after this fight

Team Reaction

Khabib was at the corner of Islam watching his fight. When Islam got KO, Khabib’s head was in shock. Khabib’s Father and Islam Makhachev’s Coach, Abdulmanap Nurmagomadov, later confessed that:

“He could not hold back his tears after that defeat”.

It was hard to swallow that defeat, but they faced it with courage, trained harder, and made the best version of Islam, which is right now the pound-for-pound No.1 in the UFC.

Comeback and Dominance

After this loss, Islam came back stronger and proved himself in his weight class. He started improving not only his striking but also his wrestling. Many MMA fans think that Islam Makhachev loss helped him to become the lightweight champion of the world. After that fight, Islam Makhachev improved himself and defeated every fighter. He dominated one of the best UFC fighters. The list of those fighters is given below:

#	Opponents	Event	Result
1	Chris Wade	UFC fight night 94	Win – Decision (Unanimous)
2	Nik Lentz	UFC 208	Win – Decision (Unanimous)
3	Gleison Tibau	UFC 220	Win – Decision (Unanimous)
4	Kajan Johnson	UFC on Fox 30	Win – Submission (Armbar)
5	Arman Tsarukyan	UFC Fight Night 149	Win – Decision (Unanimous)
6	Davi Ramos	UFC 242	Win – Decision (Unanimous)
7	Drew Dober	UFC 259	Win – Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
8	Thiago Mioses	UFC on ESPN 26	Win – Submission (Rear-Naked Choke)
9	Dan Hooker	UFC 267	Win – Submission (Kimura)
10	Bobby Green	UFC Fight Night 202	Win – TKO (Punches)
11	Charles Oliveira	UFC 280	Win – Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)
12	Alexander Volkanovski	UFC 284	Win – Decision (Unanimous)
13	Alexander Volkanovski	UFC 294	Win – KO (Head Kick)
14	Dustin Poirier	UFC 302	Win – Submission (D’Arce Choke)
15	Renato Moicano	UFC 311	Win – Submission (Arm-Triangle Choke)

Mentorship by Khabib: Role of the Eagle in Islam’s Rebirth

Khabib’s mentorship became more focused after his own retirement in 2020. After becoming a Coach due to his father’s death, he became fully invested in Islam’s path to the top. From cornering him during fights to drilling the core values of discipline, patience, and pressure fighting, Khabib played a key role in sharpening Islam’s skill set. He passed down the teachings of his father and the strength of Dagestan to all the fighters, including Islam Makhachev, a relentless grappling style with a high fight IQ.
Not just a coach, Khabib helped Islam overcome his weaknesses and develop the mental toughness needed to be a champion. He taught him how to carry the pressure of expectation, stay focused under bright lights, and remain humble in victory.
Besides Coaching, the relationship between Islam and Khabib is the same as it was in the early days, which shows the trust level between them, and it helps Islam to look into the personal life of Khabib and how he managed to remain Undefeated in this brutal sport and also stay humble with so much fame. Khabib is known for his strict discipline, and now everyone sees that Islam is more disciplined; this is mainly due to Khabib’s training.

Conclusion

Islam Makhachev’s only career loss is solid evidence that one defeat cannot define a fighter. Islam proved that giving up is not an option in his life. He worked even harder to remove his weakness and learned from his mistakes. Islam Makhachev loss is considered the turning point in his MMA career. The best thing about the fighter is to accept the defeat that Islam suffered at that time. After his loss in the cage, he bent down on his knee to thank Allah and said Win or lose, every time Alhamdulillah. Islam shaped his career and made him more lethal and strong in his division. Even great fighters and athletes have once faced defeat, but they did not give up on their dream, the same as Islam did.

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