Although he’s not as flamboyant as some of the other top stars in the UFC, we can certainly claim that Islam Makhachev is one of the biggest stars in Dana White’s promotion right now. Ranked no.2 in the pound-for-pound rankings, the Dagestani is set to make history once again. On November 15, he will challenge Jack Della Maddalena for the welterweight title at UFC 322.
His professional career is out in the public for the world to see. However, the same cannot be said for the Dagestani’s private life as Islam Makhachev keeps a rather low profile, especially when it comes to his spouse and children. A lot of Makhachev’s friends from Dagestan have penetrated the sport of MMA, with many of them fighting at the highest levels. He’s always seen by fans training with them, but never with his family. But guess what? The Dagestani phenom is married and a video of him getting married a couple of years ago went viral on the internet.
Who Is Islam Makhachev’s Wife? Why Her Identity Remains a Secret
The former lightweight champion refrains from sharing any pictures of his spouse on social media. In actuality, that seems to be a common theme among the Dagestani fighters. However, some footage from his wedding offered us an opportunity to have a glimpse of what the lightweight champion’s wife looks like. The marriage took place in 2021, a year after Khabib Nurmagomedov announced his retirement at UFC 254.
However, we lack any information about Islam Makhachev’s wife’s name. Sharing information about family members isn’t a common practice in Makhachev’s community. But from viewing some interviews he had in the past, the champion did confirm that he’s got a few children as well.
During a recent interview with UFC flyweight great, Demetrious Johnson, Islam Makhachev revealed that he has three children with his wife. “Three… girl [is the eldest and], boy, boy,” the lightweight champion told ‘Mighty Mouse’ on YouTube. And guess what? Makhachev’s third child just came into the world, but he had to move back to the United States for his UFC 311 title defense.
But before that revelation, Makhachev would claim that when he’s home in the mountains, he likes to sleep with his kids to spend more time with them. Moreover, he likes to sleep when he’s in Dagestan for proper recovery time for his body, but his children would wake up much earlier at around 4 or 5 am. “They wake up 5 in the morning, 4 in the morning. It bothers me, but I still sleep with my kids always because I miss them because I travel a lot,” Makhachev added. His love for his daughter, especially, was there for all to see when he mentioned her after he won the lightweight title.
A couple of years ago, somewhere in the AKA gym, Islam Makhachev was seated while holding one child on his lap. Notwithstanding that particular child not being his biological offspring, it was only an instance of babysitting by Makhachev, but reports claimed that it could have been his daughter. But the gesture for the child from Makhachev was because of his missed opportunities for family time back in Dagestan.
Claiming that it was hard for him to see his daughter grow up as he actively competed while traveling across the globe, Islam Makhachev stated, “Last couple [of] months, I watched the video [of] how my daughter [is] grow[ing] up without me. But after [a] couple [of] days, I’m gonna be home,” at the post-fight pressers following the biggest win of his career. But if there’s one thing the world got to see of Islam’s personal life, it was his spectacular wedding in Makhachkala, Dagestan, in 2021, a year after Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement at UFC 254!
Islam Makhachev’s Lavish Wedding: Khabib, Zubaira Tukhugov & Thousands of Guest
‘The Eagle’ was also there to celebrate his protege’s special day at the wedding. More than one video can be found on various social media platforms of the stills from Makhachev’s wedding, where his Dagestani MMA compatriots, including Zubaira Tukhugov and former fighter Shamil Zavurov, also joined the festivities.
Among the sea of familiar Dagestani faces, a few Olympic legends also graced Islam Makhachev’s wedding. Mavlet Batirov, his brother Adam Batirov, and Nazyr Mankiev — all Olympic gold medalists, joined the celebrations alongside UFC flyweight Tagir Ulanbekov.
The group was photographed with orthopedic specialist Dr. Artysh Vyacheslavovich Ondar, who later shared the moment on Instagram. “It was my first time at a Caucasian wedding, and on such a large scale,” he wrote, wishing Islam Makhachev “a long, happy family life” and “as many children as possible.” The doctor also thanked Makhachev for the invitation, saying he enjoyed meeting old friends, new acquaintances, and even a few of his patients at the grand affair.
The footage showed Makhachev dressed in traditional attire, smiling shyly as his friends cheered and celebrated around him. Yet, even amidst all that festivity, one thing stayed consistent, his wife’s face remained respectfully covered, preserving her anonymity. And as Islam Makhachev gears up for UFC 322, possibly to become a two-division champion, one thing is clear, his discipline inside the cage mirrors the same values that define his life outside it: loyalty, humility, and devotion to family.
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