“We’re here to take over. But we are here to take over,” once said Khabib Nurmagomedov. With that tagline, Russian regions have recently produced many high-profile MMA prospects. Fighters from Dagestan, Chechnya, and other regions have, in fact, turned into a hotbed for MMA stars, continuing a tradition that Fedor Emelianenko started decades ago.
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Today, Russian fighters dominate MMA promotions. Stars like Islam Makhachev, Petr Yan, Khamzat Chimaev, Anatoly Malykhin, and Vadim Nemkov hold titles across various organizations, while many others continue to climb the ranks. But the real question is, can every Russian fighter earn a spot on a hypothetical MMA dream team strong enough to challenge fighters from other regions?
Islam Makhachev unveils Russia’s MMA squad built to dominate all rivals
Islam Makhachev recently joined Ilya Andreev on Ushatayka for an interview, where the host asked him about a hypothetical “professional world champion” tournament featuring fighters from all organizations across eight weight classes. Makhachev started with Khabib Nurmagomedov and, unsurprisingly, named him the clear choice to lead the Russian national team.
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“In my opinion, I think 100 percent it should be Khabib. One hundred percent, Khabib should be the coach,” Islam Makhachev said.
When it came to weight classes, the Russian champ selected 33-year-old former UFC star Askar Askarov. Askarov gained recognition for his win over Alexandre Pantoja in 2020 and had once aimed to become a champion. However, because of health issues and poor weight management, his career derailed, and he eventually left the UFC.
For the bantamweight division at 61 kilograms, Islam Makhachev picked the newly crowned champion Petr Yan. “At 61, there are opponents there. I think Petr Yan or Umar. But right now Petr is the champion with the belt, so he should be the one,” Makhachev added.
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Moving to the 66-kilogram division, Islam Makhachev gave the edge to Timur Khizriev, who is still recovering from a violent attack in Dagestan in July that left him with bullet wounds. “If we bring him back to his old condition, remove the shrapnel, take the bullets out, we could send him in,” he said.
Makhachev puts global rivals on alert, including America
Islam Makhachev put himself in the 170-pound division. For the middleweight division, he went with the champion and Chechnya native Khamzat Chimaev.
“At 84 kilograms, let’s see. Chimaev. In this situation, he represents the UAE if we go strictly by flags. But if we give him the Russian flag, no problem. We need to win, after all,” Makhachev said.
For the light heavyweight division, the double champ chose former champion Magomed Ankalaev.
“At 120 kilograms, there would be really tough competition. There is Volkov. There is also Anatoly Malykhin and Polovich. They are in form too, but they would need a strong training camp to come out ready,” Islam Makhachev added.
Meanwhile, while the American MMA promotion UFC controls the top weight classes and serves as the premier MMA stage in the United States, American fighters still struggle to produce champions.
Currently, Kayla Harrison and American-Burmese star Joshua Van hold the only UFC titles from the US. On the other hand, fighters from Russia, Britain, Brazil, and the Georgian region dominate their divisions.
“Overall, I do not see anyone equal to this team. I do not see any competition. I think we would confidently take first place,” Makhachev added.
How do you respond to Islam Makhachev’s claim? Even though he trains at an American gym like the American Kickboxing Academy, could the Russian team still outshine the American squads? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
Written by
Edited by
Aatreyi Sarkar