In the annals of the UFC’s lightweight division, Islam Makhachev has cemented his place at the top. Following his the first defeat of his career to Adriano Martins in October 2015, the Russian has embarked on a monstrous 15-fight winning streak, which has seen him conquer a who’s-who of his weight class.
The Dagestan native’s reputation would only continue to grow exponentially beginning in 2022 when he scored the 155-lb championship at UFC 280 in decisive fashion over fan-favorite athlete Charles Oliveira, submitting “do Bronxs” in the second round. What followed that event was nothing short of a dynasty of absolute domination, with Makhachev netting four consecutive title defenses, besting Alexander Volkanovski twice, Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano.
With his legacy as an all-time great in both the lightweight category and the sport all but secured, he will seek to establish himself as the king of a brand new territory when he challenges welterweight apex Jack Della Maddalena this Saturday at UFC 322. Although this will be the first time he will be fighting in the division, and opposite one of the best boxers in the organization to boot, Islam Makhachev has already proven to be a pound-for-pound threat to any man who stands across from him in the Octagon.
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These are all of Islam Makhachev’s current UFC championship bouts ranked:
5. Islam Makhachev vs. Renato Moicano UFC 311
In the first pay-per-view event of 2025, UFC 311, Makhachev was originally slated to battle fellow European stalwart Arman Tsarukyan, who was coming off of a magnificent win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 the year before. This would be the pair’s second meeting after initially facing each other at UFC Fight Night 149 back in 2019, with the Russian taking out the debuting “Ahalkalakets.” While many were excited for this fantastic rematch to take place, Tsarukyan ended up pulling out of the match due to a supposed back injury that he picked up during training.
Stepping up on just one day’s notice was none other than Brazilian contender Renato Moicano, who was supposed to tussle with Beneil Dariush earlier on the main card. At the time of his clash with Makhachev, Moicano was in the midst of a four-fight winning streak, elevated with triumphs over Brad Riddell, Drew Dober, Jalin Turner and Benoît Saint Denis.
While an initial slip from the three-time defending gold standard had audiences on their toes, Makhachev proved definitively that he is the best lightweight of all time by dragging Moicano down to the floor seamlessly. Wasting little time, the Russian locked up a tight brabo choke that forced the challenger to tap, ending the fight in just over four minutes to record his fourth record-breaking belt retention.
The magnitude of Makhachev’s victory cannot be overstated enough, as it brought the Dagestani a great deal of notoriety as the only man to compile four title defenses in the 155-lb class, surpassing his friend and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov’s record of three. However, what holds the triumph back somewhat is the fact that Makhachev didn’t contend with Tsarukyan, whom the entire card was built around as the most dangerous threat to his reign. Instead, he faced Moicano, who not only did not have enough time to prepare for the occasion, but he also wasn’t even in the top five in the division at the time.
4. Islam Makhachev vs. Dustin Poirier UFC 302
Kicking off the 2024 summer season with a bang, UFC 302’s headlining scrap saw two different generations of top lightweight stars duke it out in one of the most entertaining tilts of that year. Taking to the Octagon for his third championship defense, Makhachev was riding a lot of momentum after brutally ending his rivalry with featherweight great Alexander Volkanovski later the previous year. Waiting for him across the cage was divisional darling and former interim king Dustin Poirier.
Across his 14-year tenure in the UFC, Poirier was widely-regarded as a massive fan-favorite for his scrappy fighting style and blood-and-guts determination. Although he never quite was able to reach the pinnacle of the lightweight category, “The Diamond” nonetheless was a part of some of the greatest battles the Octagon has ever witnessed. He also has defeated a slew of notable figures such as Anthony Pettis, Justin Gaethje and Max Holloway.
Putting on a dominant and complete performance, Makhachev outclassed his foe in all aspects of the bout, outlanding Poirier and racking up over ten minutes of control time. Although the Louisianan did land a few solid punches to the body, the champion never looked to be in any real danger, masterfully entangling the American in a brabo choke to end the night on a colossal high note.
3. Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski II UFC 294
Engaging in the first real promotional superfight seen in quite some time at UFC 284 in early 2023, Makhachev came to blows with 145-lb legend Alexander Volkanovski, just barely eking out a close unanimous decision. Eight months later at UFC 294, the two wound up locking horns again after the champion’s original adversary, Charles Oliveira, pulled out of the main event after suffering a cut while in camp. In the time between their fights, Volkanovski moved back down to featherweight to defend his own strap against Yair Rodríguez, knocking out the Mexican in the third round.
While their second encounter should have been a runback to remember, it was slightly marred with controversy before it even began after “The Great” signed up as the replacement competitor on just 11 days notice, leaving many to speculate if the Aussie had enough time to prepare for his second nab at the lightweight crown. Those speculations were proven right when Makhachev starched the challenger in just three minutes with a thudding head kick, making it Volkanovski’s first stoppage loss in over a decade.
In the wake of the match, Makhachev both nabbed 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 being dethroned himself by Ilia Topuria this past summer.
2. Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski I UFC 284
A few months after seizing the lightweight throne, Makhachev was scheduled to make his first belt retention at UFC 284. For the event, however, the Russian did not face off with anyone from his division. Instead, he found himself crossing paths with the champion from down a division, a champion that had nearly cleared out weight class with almost no effort, that champion being the aforementioned Volkanovski.
Ascending to the top of the mountain at featherweight in 2019 by conquering the elite Max Holloway, “The Great” had embarked on a warpath through a murders row of challengers, defeating Brian Ortega, The Korean Zombie (Jung Chan-sung) and Holloway twice more. With four defenses to his name, Volkanovski endeavored to etch his name in the history books as one of the few to ever hold two belts at the same time, taking on the newly-minted 155-lb apex, Makhachev, in his native Australia.
Living up to the hype, both men put on an absolute classic, with Makhachev in particular demonstrating a growing striking game by landing several hard blows to the durable Aussie, even dropping him briefly in the first round. To his credit as well, Volkanovski defied the narrative that he had no answer for the Dagestani’s wrestling, stuffing six of his adversary’s takedown attempts. Following a hard-fought war and a standing ovation from the crowd, it was Makhachev who got his hand raised to defend his lightweight strap for the first time.
1. Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira UFC 280
Accruing a splendid ten-fight undefeated streak, Makhachev had finally earned his long-awaited title shot in 2022 after bulldozing his way past a bevy of top prospects and contenders like Thiago Moisés, Bobby Green and Dan Hooker. Making the trip out to the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, the Russian went up against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace and former 155-lb gold standard Charles Oliveira.
Previously snatching the belt with a thunderous victory over Bellator icon Michael Chandler at UFC 262, Oliveira soared to spectacular heights during one of the most beloved championship reigns in promotional history. Holding the title for a year, the Brazilian logged one defense over Dustin Poirier before un-ceremonially losing it on the scales before his tilt with Justin Gaethje at UFC 274, coming in half a pound over the weight limit. Appearing undeterred by the situation, Oliveira knocked down the American with a staggering right before ending the fight with a rear naked choke in round one.
Now with the belt up for grabs, the two lightweight titans met up in easily the most anticipated lightweight showdown of the latter half of 2022. Pushing the pace early on, Makhachev tagged “do Bronxs” with a few big shots before getting him to the canvas. Early into the second, the European managed to score a perfect counter left hook to downed Oliveira, allowing him to sink in an arm triangle choke, forcing the Brazilian to tap, solidifying his place as the best 155-lb fighter on planet earth.
Despite this contest not being one of his entertaining title defenses, it is arguably the most important championship of Islam Makhachev’s UFC career.
Not only did he earn the strap by finishing the organization’s all-time leader in submission wins with a submission of his own, it thrust the Russian into mainstream attention as a pound-for-pound standout. It also kick-started what would become the most dominant championship reign in lightweight history, with the American Kickboxing Academy product going on to garner four defenses before vacating his belt to go up in weight to challenge for the welterweight throne.
