Islam Makhachev Net Worth and UFC Champion Journey

The intent of Islam Makhachev, the current UFC lightweight champion, has received a lot of media attention in 2025. He is a well-known fighter in the MMA world, and his impressive performances in UFC fights have made headlines.

Makhachev was born on September 27, 1991, in Makhachkala, Russia, and has been a professional fighter since 2008. His climb from anonymity in a Russian hamlet to stardom in the Ultimate Fighting Championship is remarkable. Let us look deeper at Makhachev's fortune and his next fight.

Islam Makhachev Net Worth?

Islam Makhachev net worth of $5 million by 2025 reflects his rising stardom and performance inside the UFC cage. Under the tutelage of former champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has become an expert and garnered significant financial rewards.

His remarkable ascension to UFC popularity stems from a life narrative of perseverance, focus, and calculated battles, which began with his Combat Sambo World Championship in 2016. His earnings have shown a constant rising trend. He earned over $1.5 million from his encounter with Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284. As the pinnacle of his career, this fight highlighted his ability to command high pay-per-view (PPV) pricing and make large money.

Source of Earning

Makhachev has been a constant in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) since the beginning of his professional career in 2008. He makes a lot of money from fights. Because he has won so many games, his wealth is growing.

Salary

His starting pay right now is $500,000. His advertising deals and bonus payments are not part of this amount. Makhachev beat Alexander "The Great" Volkanovski in UFC 284. He won a total of $1.1 million, which included a $500,000 victory bonus, a $100,000 victory bonus, $42,000 in sponsorship money, a $50,000 UFC bonus, and a cut of the pay-per-view (PPV) income.

UFC Earnings

Makhachev was well-known in the UFC and won many fights. He is wealthy because of the money he has made from these fights. In the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), fighters get paid a base wage plus extra cash for doing well and winning each fight. Makhachev makes a lot of money from his UFC job, proving how well he does.

Endorsements and Sponsorships

He has signed lucrative endorsement deals with well-known brands like Gorilla Energy Drink (a hydration and energy drink) and Al Hadaya (a company specializing in unique Islamic goods). He also does business with Wahed Invest, a banking company in New York.

Professional Career

Mixed martial arts career

M-1 Global

Makhachev beat Tengiz Khuchua by knockout in the first round of his M-1 Global debut on February 12, 2011. That was Machachev's second fight with M-1. It was against Mansour Barnaoui at M-1 Challenge 38 on April 9, 2013. All three judges agreed he was guilty (30-27, 30-27, 30-27).

Randy Junio is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt who has never lost an official match. On August 21, 2013, at M-1 Challenge 41, Makhachev fought Junio. He should win, everyone agreed. Makhachev fought M-1 Global Yuri Ivlev at M-1 Challenge 49 on June 7, 2014. Ivlev was no match for Islam in their fight; after hitting him down, Islam put him down with an armbar.

Makhachev stopped Ivica Truscek in the third round of their fight on September 7, 2014. It was Makhachev's last fight for M-1 Global before he joined the UFC.

UFC Lightweight Champion

Islam Makhachev vs Charles Oliveira
Makhachev fought Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 280 on October 22, 2022. Makhachev beat Oliveira with an arm-triangle choke after punching him down in the second round. He won the fight and the belt. The performance of the Night bonus was given to him because of this win.

Makhachev was given the Order "For Merit to the Republic of Dagestan" in November 2022 because he did well in martial arts.

Makhachev vs. Volkanovski
At UFC 284, on February 12, 2023, Makhachev defended his title against Alexander Volkanovski, the current UFC featherweight king. There was only one vote against Makhachev, so he won. For this fight, he was named Fight of the Night. When he won the Sali Suleiman medal, the top award given by the Dagestan Ministry of Sports, it was given to Makhachev and his coach, Muslim Amiraslanov. The award was named for a famous wrestler.

Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2
On October 21, 2023, at UFC 294, Makhachev was set to defend his title for the second time against Charles Oliveira. Still, Alexander Volkanovski filled in for Oliveira when the latter had to drop out of the race because of an injury. He used a head kick to knock out his opponent in the first round. He won the award for Performance of the Night for this fight.

Dustin Poirier vs Islam Makhachev 

On June 1, 2025, Makhachev defended his title against Dustin Poirier at UFC 302.

 Records and Achievements:

• He defeated Alexander Volkanovski in February 2023 to successfully defend his UFC Lightweight Championship, which he won in 2022.
• Conquered Arman Tsarukyan and Alexander Volkanovski in back-to-back Fights of the Night.
• Defeated Charles Oliveira in October 2022 for the performance of the Night title.
• Has the second-longest winning run (11 wins in a row) in UFC history, tied with Charles Oliveira.
• World Combat Sambo Championship 2016: Gold Medal Winner.
• He has an impressive record in mixed martial arts, winning 24 out of 25 battles total (four by knockout, eleven by submission, and nine by decision).
• MMA Junkie.com named his battle against Charles Oliveira the Submission of the Year for 2022.
• The UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings currently have him at #3.
• He is recognized for his accomplishments in martial arts with the "Order for Merit to the Republic of Dagestan" in November 2022.
• He has won the Russian national championship in combat sambo four times.

Next Fight

Arman Tsarukyan vs Islam Makhachev fight is scheduled UFC 311 on 18 January 2025.

Personal Life

Makhachav was born in Makhachkala to Lak parents. He spent his childhood in the small town of Burshi, which is now in the Russian Republic of Dagestan but used to be in the Dagestan Autonomous Soviet Republic in the Soviet Union. Makhachev's older brother is Kurbanismail. His father grew tomatoes and drove a taxi; his mother ran a cafe and was a housewife.

When he was seven years old, he learned taekwondo from the famous winner, Seyfula Magomedov. Abubakar Nurmagomedov's school is where Makhachev met Khabib, Shamil, and Zavurov. He also talked to Sanda. But when he moved with his family to a new place, he chose to play soccer for two years instead of fighting sports.

In that area, street fights were common when Makhachev was young. This is because adults, like Makhachev's coach Magomedov, would pick boys to fight, or the boys would fight each other. He trained in freestyle wrestling for a year and then discovered that Khabib was already a professional. He then chose to switch to mixed martial arts under Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

Makhachev liked Tank Abbott and Ken Shamrock more than any other UFC fighter. He had been a fan of the promotion since he was a child. While training, he studied sports and physical education at Dagestan State University. Makhachev got a job as a security guard to make money. His boss would let Makhachev practice during work hours and pay him while he was at events and training camps.

Islam Makhachev got married on 08 April 2021. Islam Makhachev wife name is not disclosed to public.

Related information: Conor Mcgregor Net Worth: An In-Depth Look at his Career & Life

Charitable Activities

Even though he has a lot of money, Makhachev is known for his charity work and humble personality. In his time as a Russian citizen, he was involved with many charitable groups. These things don't directly make him richer, but they raise his image and make him more well-known.

Future Prospects

Based on Makhachev's consistent performance and rising fame, his net worth will likely grow over the next few years. He can make much money from business deals and possible big fights. His net worth in 2025 is about $5 million. His primary sources of wealth are his UFC job, endorsement deals, and sponsorship deals. 

Even though he is wealthy, Makhachev keeps his feet firmly on the ground and is kind with his time and money. Makhachev's net worth will likely rise over the next few years thanks to his successful job and the money he could make.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. Is Islam Makhachev married?

Ans: Yes, he got married on 08 April 2021.

Q. What PEDs are Islam Makhachev on?

Ans: Makhachev was falsely accused of taking PEDs. But his name is now cleared as he has completed 50 clean tests.

Q. Is Islam Makhachev related to Khamzat Chimaev?

Ans: According to Javier Mendez, Makhachev and Khamzat are fighters of the same level. But that does not mean they are related to each other.