Scouting Report: Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev

Born: September 27, 1991 (Age: 31) in Makhachkala, Russia
Division: Lightweight
Height: 5’10”
Reach: 70.5”
Record: 22-1 (11-1 UFC)
Association: Eagles MMA/American Kickboxing Academy
Stage of Career: Prime

Summary: Makhachev has established himself as one of the premier grapplers in mixed martial arts history. He can takedown others at will, and once on the mat, he features some of the best top control the sport has ever seen, ensuring that opponents will stay down to either get pummeled by vicious ground-and-pound or fall victim to his world-class submissions. Makhachev is certainly weaker on the feet, but exploiting that weakness is easier said than done. He carries solid defense, good footwork and excellent movement, making him difficult to hit. Offensively, he favors a dangerous overhand left that has hurt and knocked out opponents, so he is not without weapons in the standup. All of this is complimented by stellar cardio and fight IQ. Makhachev is an extraordinarily difficult man to beat.

STRIKING

• Stance: Southpaw.
• Hand Speed: Ranges from slightly below average to average.
• Jab: Throws it with some technique, but he usually uses it as a set-up or feint, and he pulls it a little short almost every time.
• Cross: Straight and impactful, but it lacks speed and is often telegraphed.
• Right Hook: Somewhat airy and inaccurate, it also lacks rotation. Borders on being subpar.
• Overhand Left: By far his best strike, with good technical properties, including textbook tightness and plenty of rotation. Plus, it is accurate and powerful. It was the punch with which he knocked out Gleison Tibau.
• Uppercuts: Rarely throws them. • Solitary Striker or Volume Puncher: Can throw flurries at times, though they are not especially accurate or powerful.
• Favorite Combinations: None he goes to on a regular basis.
• Leg Kicks: Rarely throws them, but they are serviceable when he does.
• Body Kicks: Features two of them. The roundhouse is decent and allows him to score accurately, but it lacks power and he fails to draw it back as quickly as he should. His front kick is solid, fairly technical and hard. It either gets him in range or, in the case of Nik Lentz, hurts the opponent.
• Head Kicks: He walks forward with them correctly, but they lack some speed and suddenness.
• Chains Kicks to Punches: No.

Makhachev’s striking is mostly predicated on an outstanding overhand left—a technical, hard and accurate shot he has repeatedly used to hurt or knock out opponents. Other than that, he does not have an especially dangerous punch, and the right hook in particular is rather poor. His kicks are solid, highlighted by an effective front kick to the body. However, those truths bely the simple fact that Makhachev’s defense is good, his footwork is excellent and he moves around the cage quite well, making it difficult for opponents to find him. Thus, while he may face better strikers, rarely are they able to capitalize on their advantages.

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CLINCH

• Physical Strength: Enormously powerful.
• Technique: Sublime—a fine mix of wrestling and judo.
• Knees: Rarely throws them, choosing instead to focus on grappling.
• Elbows: Almost never uses them.
• Defense Against Knees/Elbows: He can tank some knees to the body and use that as an opportunity to work a takedown, so they become a risky proposition for opponents.

Makhachev is a monster in the clinch. He does not waste time on striking there, even with knees. The Russian chooses instead to concentrate on the takedown, which he almost always gets thanks to not only his insane physical strength but the beautiful technique of his wrestling and judo.

GRAPPLING

• Wrestling from a Shot: Fast and technical, though he prefers to grapple from the clinch.
• Wrestling in the Clinch: Features a wonderful mix of wrestling and judo, including some gorgeous hip tosses and inside trips.
• Takedown Defense: Close to flawless. He can easily stymie the efforts of even excellent grapplers.
• Ability to Return to Feet: During the few times Makhachev has found himself on the floor, he hip escapes immediately.
• Submissions: He can slice through the opponent’s guard and then attack with a variety of techniques, including armbars, kimuras, arm-triangles and his outstanding rear-naked choke.
• Defense/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu from the Bottom: Difficult to gauge since he never stays underneath an opponent for long.
• Top Control: Perhaps the crown jewel of his game. He bites down on wrists, hips and even ankles, as he breaks down the base of his opponents whenever they try to build back up.
• Ground-and-Pound: Another area in which Makhachev excels. He can attack both the body and head, often utilizing thudding right hands and solid elbows. However, his efforts are rather telegraphed and deliberate.

As one of the great grapplers of his generation, Makhachev can get takedowns anywhere but prefers the clinch, where his exquisite inside trips and hip throws look like something out of a training seminar. He ranks as one of the best in history at top control. Once grounded, Makhachev unleashes furious, deadly ground-and-pound, battering every part of an opponent’s body with punches while adding elbows to the face for good measure. He can also attack with an array of tight, technical and powerful submissions. Taking down Makhachev, let alone keeping him on the canvas, seems virtually impossible for any current lightweight.

INTANGIBLES

• Athleticism/General Physical Strength: A truly powerful lightweight with solid agility.
• Cardio: Never slows down in three-round battles, even frenetic ones, and has proven capable of late finishes, as he showed in the fourth round against Thiago Moises.
• Chin: Can weather strong connections, although a perfectly timed and place counter from Adrian Martins put him away in his lone defeat.
• Recuperative Powers: Difficult to say since they have rarely been required.
• Intelligence: Shows consistent improvement across his fights and employs brilliant tactics in terms of how to apply his grappling.