Islam Makhachev may be one of the biggest names in the UFC right now, but he doesn’t want his children to follow in his footsteps. The welterweight champion has always kept his family out of the spotlight, so getting him to talk about his wife or three children is rare. But as his UFC 330 title fight against Ian Machado Garry approaches, the Dagestani offered a rare glimpse into his life as a father.

Speaking at UFC 330 media day, the reigning welterweight champion admitted that his own upbringing has shaped how he thinks about his children’s futures.

“Now I have three kids. They just still small, you know. For future, I don’t know,” Islam Makhachev admitted. “I don’t want my kids to be like fighters. Maybe for sure in Dagestan, when you go to the school, you have to go wrestling or somewhere. They’re not training, but we’ll see.”

However, the 34-year-old made it clear that he would not stop his children from pursuing sports if they genuinely wanted to.

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“If they want, I just not stop them, you know, I just help them,” he explained. “But I don’t want my kids to be some professional fighters or like some other sports.

“Because when I grew up, and my mother and father always far from me, you know, because I always traveling, always like in training camp, in fighting. But I want to stay with my kids.”

This perspective is especially intriguing coming from someone who has spent nearly his entire life in combat sports. Islam Makhachev has become one of his generation’s most dominant fighters and a prominent name in the modern GOAT debate, but the lifestyle required to reach the top has clearly come with sacrifices that he does not necessarily want his children to make.

In fact, after getting his hands on the lightweight title at UFC 280, he admitted that this glory came at a cost.

“Last couple of months, I watched the video of how my daughter is growing up without me,” he said after the fight.

And the welterweight champion has time and again sounded more homesick than someone who is truly enjoying being at the top.

“I have three kids, I don’t see them much because last five years I travel a lot,” Makhachev confessed.

So, it seems like his wanting to keep his children out of combat sports has a lot to do with his own personal experience as a father who missed out on their childhood.

His comments also stand out because several UFC families have already produced multiple generations of fighters.

Islam Makhachev’s view on fighting sets him apart from other UFC families

Randy Couture and his son Ryan Couture were the first father-son duo in UFC history, with Randy winning heavyweight and light heavyweight titles before Ryan debuted in the UFC lightweight division.

Gilbert and Elijah Smith later became another father-son pairing to be part of the promotion. Gilbert competed at UFC 158 after appearing on The Ultimate Fighter, and Elijah got his UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series.

The Mir family may soon add another chapter to its history. Bella Mir, the daughter of former UFC heavyweight champion Frank Mir, is set to headline week three of Dana White’s Contender Series on August 25 against Alex Apodaca, with a UFC contract at stake.

Then there’s Conor McGregor, who’s openly expressed a desire for his children to follow in his footsteps in combat sports.

“I have a son now. When he grows up, I’m going to put him into sport,” the Irishman said when his eldest son, Conor Jr., was just five months old. “I believe sport is the best thing you can do.

“I’ve already begun training him. He’s already leaps and bounds ahead of schedule.”

‘The Notorious’ later stated in August 2021 that he believed both Conor Jr. and his younger son Rian had the potential to become fighters but added that he would back anything they chose.

Islam Makhachev, for his part, appears to have a quite different worldview. The reigning UFC welterweight champion believes that success is not necessarily about creating another generation of elite fighters. It’s about being present for his children in ways that his own parents couldn’t always be. And after years of touring the world to become a champion, the Dagestani phenom may want nothing more than that.