Islam Makhachev
Wins on the mat — every scramble is a trap.
How much we trust this read
Confidence rates the analysis, not the fighter. The Blueprint Score rates the fighter. Sparse data lowers confidence — it never gets hidden.
Fight Plan: Islam Makhachev
A coach-ready game plan — historical weaknesses opponents have exploited and what to drill in camp.
- Can occasionally be drawn into striking battles
- Reach disadvantage against some strikers
- Has faced one clear knockout loss earlier in career
- Drill takedown defense and wall scrambles
- Constant lateral movement to break their rhythm
- Orthodox volume partners in camp to mirror lead-hand exchanges
- Underhook battles and posture work off the bottom
Sub-Score Breakdown
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What Changed?
Recent intelligence updates from the Blueprint engine — confidence shifts, new tactical observations, and patterns detected.
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Tactical Patterns
Repeatable trigger → action → result sequences detected by the engine. Low-confidence patterns are labeled, not hidden.
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Tactical Memory
Persistent observations the engine has accumulated. New observations merge with existing memory instead of overwriting it.
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Fighter fingerprint
MMA attribute profile — only skills that matter in this sport are scored, and any axis we cannot evidence is left blank rather than scored as zero.
Grappling and Wrestling are the highest scored axes; expect the game plan to lean on this.
- Striking85
- Wrestling96
- Grappling98
- Cardio88
- Fight IQ93
- Distance Control82
Strategic breakdown
Style fingerprint derived from the attribute ratings and finish rates on file. Each row is labelled with how Fight Blueprint reached it — none of these are measured from footage.
Fight Timeline
How Islam Makhachev has evolved year-by-year — milestones, camp changes, style shifts, and notable results.
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Observations & evidence
Every observation expands into the evidence behind it. Tap a row to see why this read was made.
Video Evidence Ledger
Timestamped tactical observations that back the analysis. Each item cites the fight, round, and moment.
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Prep for camp: Islam Makhachev
Recommendations a coach can act on tomorrow — opponent tendencies, drills, and the sparring styles to stack against this fight.
- Chops down opponent's legs with kicks
- Excellent situational wrestling and scrambles
- Seeks the body lock takedown
- Drill reactive sprawls — bait the shot off your right hand
- Pad work on cutting off their right-side exits
- Match their pace early, then turn the screws late
- Win exchanges with volume, not single shots — they walk through power
- Posture and frame drills off bottom — never give up the back
- Orthodox volume partner
- Chain-wrestling partner
- High-output striker with heavy leg kicks
- Black-belt grappler comfortable on bottom
Timestamped breakdowns
Curated moments from Makhachev's tape — each clip annotated with the technique on display.
How this fighter is changing
Computed only from individual fight results on file — earlier half of the recorded fights compared with the most recent half.
100% in the last 3 fights vs 100% before.
Share of fights ended inside the distance across 5 results on file.
How often recent fights reach the judges.
Similar Fighters
Stylistic neighbors based on sub-score vector, archetype, and weight class.
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See it on film
Every read above should be verifiable. Jump straight to the footage on the platforms that host it legally — official channels first, archive sites second.
Coaches: official clip embeds per fighter are coming next — for now, deep links open searches pre-filtered to Islam Makhachev.
Status / Injuries
No current reported injuries.
Checked 6/21/2026
Recent Form
- W2025-11-15vs Jack Della MaddalenaU-DEC · R5 · UFC 322
- W2025-01-18vs Renato MoicanoSUB (D'Arce Choke) · R1 · UFC 311
- W2024-06-01vs Dustin PoirierSUB (D'Arce Choke) · R5 · UFC 302
- W2023-10-21vs Alexander VolkanovskiKO (Kick) · R1 · UFC 294
- W2023-02-11vs Alexander VolkanovskiU-DEC · R5 · UFC 284
Availability
Scheduled to headline UFC 330 against Ian Machado Garry.
Scouting Summary
Islam Makhachev is a dominant force in mixed martial arts, transitioning from a world-class combat sambo background to become a UFC champion. His elite wrestling and suffocating top control are hallmarks of his game, complemented by improving striking and dangerous submission skills. Makhachev consistently imposes his will on opponents, making him a significant threat.
Primary source ↗Tendencies
- Chops down opponent's legs with kicks
- Excellent situational wrestling and scrambles
- Seeks the body lock takedown
- Pound and advances position effectively
Signature Moves
- Arm Triangle Choke
- D'Arce Choke
- Inside Leg Trip
- Lead Leg High Kick
Weaknesses
- Can occasionally be drawn into striking battles
- Reach disadvantage against some strikers
- Has faced one clear knockout loss earlier in career
AI Scouting Report
Islam Makhachev is a dominant force in mixed martial arts, transitioning from a world-class combat sambo background to become a UFC champion. His elite wrestling and suffocating top control are hallmarks of his game, complemented by improving striking and dangerous submission skills. Makhachev consistently imposes his will on opponents, making him a significant threat.
- • World-class wrestling pedigree and execution
- • Exceptional top control and ground and pound
- • Dangerous submission threat from multiple positions
- • Improving and effective southpaw striking
- • Can occasionally be drawn into striking battles
- • Reach disadvantage against some strikers
- • Has faced one clear knockout loss earlier in career
- • Avoid Makhachev's takedowns at all costs
- • Keep the fight at striking range and utilize footwork
- • Punish attempted takedowns with counters
- • Maintain distance and avoid getting cornered
Biography & Camp
Islam Makhachev is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and former combat sambo world champion. He is a multi-division competitor in the UFC, currently competing in the Welterweight division where he is the champion, and formerly holding the Lightweight title.