In UFC, Islam Makhachev has firmly established himself as a ground-game specialist rather than a knockout artist. The Dagestani either mauls his opponents on the ground or submits them, preferably using his signature D’Arce choke. However, a former UFC heavyweight champion who has spent time training with Makhachev claimed that the Dagestani’s striking prowess shook him. 

Ex-UFC heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez, who defeated Brock Lesnar at UFC 121 to claim the title, made the revelation during his recent appearance on the Shawn Ryan Show. 

“I’m not like a fan of it like I used to be, but I know guys have certain skills like Islam, one of my teammates, one of Khabib’s guys,” Velasquez said. “Khabib and Islam. Islam is f—ing so skilled in the game, like f—ing good everywhere. 

“To where he was coming up, I’d spar with him, like light sparring, and he’d hit me with stuff—and nobody hits me with stuff—but he’d hit me with stuff, I’m like, ‘Where the f—k did that come from? This guy’s good.’” 

Cain Velasquez’s words made it clear that Islam Makhachev hit him during one of their sparring sessions, not in a professional fight. Both fighters trained together for years at American Kickboxing Academy under coach Javier Mendez. So, it’s safe to say their sparring session took place in AKA.

However, Velasquez’s mention of Makhachev’s skill helped clarify that it was the way the Dagestani found openings to hit him that surprised him more than his power.

AKA has had many fighters, including Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Luke Rockhold, and others who have sparred with Cain Velasquez on multiple occasions. However, this is the first time Velasquez has admitted that someone hit him with such skill, and that person turned out to be Islam Makhachev.

Interestingly, the Mexican-American is alluding to a period when the Dagestani wasn’t even competing at welterweight—the division he currently holds the championship in. 

Velasquez formally retired from the UFC in October 2019, eight months after his loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC on ESPN 1. At that time, Khabib Nurmagomedov held the 155-pound title, and Makhachev was a contender climbing the ladder in the same division. 

Over six years after Velasquez’s retirement, Makhachev moved up to welterweight and defeated Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November 2025. So, the Dagestani’s ability to hurt the former heavyweight champion while still competing at 155 pounds made Velasquez’s revelation all the more impressive.

Well, the reason why the former heavyweight champion praised Islam Makhachev isn’t hard to understand, as the Dagestani has displayed excellent striking against some of the best strikers in the UFC.

The Dagestani displayed excellent striking skills in his first fight against Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284, which he won by unanimous decision. He later knocked the Aussie out in their rematch at UFC 294 in the first round.

Another notable instance occurred when Makhachev bloodied Dustin Poirier, who was one of the best strikers in the UFC, at UFC 302. However, Makhachev eventually submitted Poirier in the fifth round.

Plus, Makhachev has other knockout victories over fighters like King Green and Gleison Tibau in the UFC. This shows that the 35-year-old can put away his opponents, but he chooses to rely on grappling and submissions because he is comparatively better in that department.

While this is the first time Cain Velasquez has praised Makhachev’s striking skills, the Dagestani hasn’t shared much about his experience training with the former heavyweight champion.

However, in an interview with Daniel Cormier ahead of his UFC 322 fight against Maddalena, he agreed with ‘DC’s’ assessment that Velasquez was one of the best fighters their gym had produced.   

Like Cain Velasquez, another former UFC champion has also recalled Islam Makhachev hitting him during a sparring session. 

Former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold talks about sparring with Islam Makhachev  

Alongside Cain Velasquez, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, and other marquee superstars, former middleweight champion Luke Rockhold was also part of AKA.

Over the years, Rockhold started training with members of other gyms and eventually parted ways with Javier Mendez’s gym. However, the time he spent at AKA also included sparring sessions with Islam Makhachev.

In an August 22 interview with Ag Fight, Rockhold revealed that he had selected Islam Makhachev as his training partner ahead of his 2015 fight against Lyoto Machida. He also disclosed that the Dagestani was better than his mentor, Khabib.

“I used to use Islam as one of my sparring partners when I fought Machida back in the day,” Rockhold said. “No ‘55-pounder works with me like this then gives me a good go. Khabib, grappling, yes. But Islam was a better striker. We always said he was this 2.0 because he was a better striker. 

“Maybe not the control that Khabib had, but he always had this knack for striking that was just above Khabib at the time. But he still had this master of sport grappling and sambo. There’s no one like these two that I’ve felt at 155 pounds that can actually give me a run for my money and make me work — really, really work.”  

That’s two former champions from heavier divisions who have praised Makhachev’s striking. It shows how the Dagestani has effectively developed an all-around game that makes him difficult for his opponents to decode.

Makhachev has faced scrutiny from the MMA world following his abrupt withdrawal from UFC 336. However, his overall achievements inside the Octagon continue to earn him praise from legendary fighters such as Cain Velasquez.