Islam Makhachev, the reigning lightweight champion in the UFC, boasts an impressive MMA record of 24 wins and 1 loss. Hailing from Dagestan, Russia, he is one of the top lightweights in the world of mixed martial arts right now and has secured victories in 12 consecutive UFC bouts. He is mentored by the UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov and is also following in his footsteps to become one of the greatest lightweights of all time.
A significant factor contributing to Nurmagomedov’s remarkable success and dominance in the world of MMA was his strong foundation. Makhachev’s early training was under the guidance of Khabib’s father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who played a pivotal role in shaping his career.
Like his mentor Khabib, Islam too is not much of a talker or a social media person, but lately, a video of him is going viral where the Dagestani champion is speaking multiple languages. This has left the fans impressed by Makhachev’s fluency in various languages. However, what would surprise you is the fact that the video is generated by artificial intelligence and is not real at all.
Did you know that Islam Makhachev can speak different languages? 😎 🇷🇺🇧🇷🇪🇸🇫🇷🇰🇷 pic.twitter.com/0gD9RU6nJ2
— 𝐒𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐜 🇵🇸 (@stiopic_) October 20, 2023
Nevertheless, this does not mean that Makhachev is not good at learning new languages, as he has improved his English over the years since joining the UFC. Moreover, he is also well-versed in Russian, which is the language spoken in his native place, Dagestan. Reportedly, Makhachev also knows some Arabic.
Islam Makhachev feels education is important
Although Islam has been into sports all his life, he understands the importance and necessity of education. When Makhachev attended the grand opening of his teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov’s brand-new MMA academy in Dagestan, he expressed his belief that this state-of-the-art facility has the capacity to benefit not only professional fighters but also the broader local community.
Speaking to RT Sport on the gym’s inaugural day, the UFC 155-pound champion, Makhachev, emphasized the significance of ensuring that the gym plays a role in fostering and educating the upcoming generation while simultaneously aiding experienced fighters in honing their skills.
“We have the space for it—two more buildings just like this one. We can have one of those buildings as a learning facility. Anyway, it’s important to develop this part. We don’t need just fighters alone; we need good doctors and specialists as well.” – said Islam Makhachev
It is good to see that one of the top fighters in the world is speaking about the importance of education and learning. Both Islam and Khabib are role models for the people of Dagestan and the whole of Russia, so these words coming from them will hold some importance for the children there.