Islam Makhachev dismisses his own Taekwondo black belt: "Bro, this belt we have to check"

Islam Makhachev was recently given his Taekwondo black belt by four-time European Taekwondo champion Seyfula Magomedov, under whom the UFC welterweight champion has been training since he was seven years old. However, according to Makhachev, who joked about the belt promotion, it was more of a gift than an accomplishment he feels he earned.

Islam Makhachev brushes off Taekwondo milestone

In an interview with Mike Bohn on the MMA Junkie, Islam Makhachev was asked for his thoughts on his recent promotion to black belt status in Taekwondo, a combat sport he has been training in since his childhood. However, in typical Makhachev fashion, he downplayed his achievement, believing that he hasn't done enough to earn the distinction, which he once echoed about fighters in the past, such as when he spoke about Dustin Poirier's Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt (2:11):

"Bro, this belt we have to check. One of them, my coach, he's a Russian Olympic team coach. You know, he's also coached me and he give me just... I call this gift, you know? Not some things I really deserve, but it's good."

Despite relying on wrestling and, to a lesser extent, Judo, in which he is also a black belt, Makhachev has undergone a drastic evolution throughout the years as a fighter. He's no longer a just a grappler and has grown into an exceptional striker with an underrated boxing game and lethal kicks. These improvements have led to him matching the great Alexander Volkanovski's striking at UFC 284, where he defeated the reigning featherweight champion via unanimous decision in a tough lightweight title fight. Their rematch, by contrast, which took pace at UFC 294, saw Makahchev knock Volkanovski out with a head kick in round one.

He also kept up with Poirier's world-class boxing at UFC 302, before eventually submitting 'The Diamond' in round five. Even prior to his run as a defending champion, he showcased a crafty striking game when he dethroned Charles Oliveira as champion at UFC 280, knocking him down with a check right hook, then submitting him seconds later in round two. However, at UFC 330, he'll face arguably his stiffest standup test yet, when he defends his welterweight title against one of the trickiest strikers on the roster in Ian Machado Garry.