Islam Makhachev had to go through all kinds of trials and tribulations to become the Ultimate Fighting Championship's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.
Makhachev hails from Makhachkala, Dagestan, a region where the most common dream for kids now is to become a UFC champion. The area has also been successfully churning out a plethora of highly-skilled fighters who have established themselves in every major mixed martial arts promotion in the world.
However, while combat sports have always been a part of Dagestani culture, the hype behind them only peaked with the crowning of Makhachev’s teammateas UFC champion in 2018. The Eagle’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, considered a pioneer of the sport in the Russian territory, is credited for the massive growth of MMA in the region by crafting champions like his son and Makhachev.
Abdulmanap managed to produce world-class athletes under harsh conditions in the mountains of Dagestan, often without the best training facilities. Makhachev recently shared his early career struggles while training under the tutelage of Nurmagomedov. The UFC lightweight champ revealed that he once used to share a mouthpiece during competitions, sometimes with as many as 10 of his teammates.
“Before we don’t have a mouthpiece,” Makhachev said in a recent appearance on “The Weighing In” Podcast. “We go to some competition, and we can use one mouthpiece. I swear to God, I remember, one competition we have one mouthpiece for like 10 people. In the rules, you cannot go inside the fight without the mouthpiece. We clean with hot water and everybody … We put hot water because it’s different you know, change it a little bit.
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