Just over a month out from his first welterweight title defense, Islam Makhachev has been awarded Russia’s highest sporting honor.
At UFC 330 on August 15, Islam Makhachev will finally defend his welterweight title for the first time when he takes on Ian Machado Garry.
Fans have become somewhat impatient regarding the Russian’s return, however, he was in talks to headline UFC Freedom 250 against Ilia Topuria, before talks broke down due to financial constrictions.
And before the 34-year-old steps into the cage in Philadelphia in an attempt to further cement his legacy, he has been awarded a prestigious award in his home country.
Makhachev awarded the title of Honored Master of Sport
Throughout the majority of his UFC tenure, Makhachev has consistently drawn comparisons to his mentor and coach, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Despite that, over the past few years, he has in a lot of fans’ opinions surpassed the legacy of ‘The Eagle’, breaking the record for the most amount of title defenses in the 155lb division.
He then cemented his spot above Khabib by joining the elite group to have won a title in two separate weight classes.
Islam Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Usman Nurmagomedov hold Islam’s two UFC title belts in the Octagon after a fight. Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
And now, just over a month out from his first defense at 170lbs, Makhachev has been granted a prestigious award in his home country.
The UFC champion has been officially awarded the title of Honored Master of Sport in Russia by the president of the International SAMBO Federation, Vasily Shestakov.
Makhachev was praised by the president for representing Combat Sambo on the global stage, while sitting atop the pound-for-pound rankings in the UFC.
The 34-year-old joins the aforementioned Nurmagomedov and MMA legend Fedor Emelianenko with his award.
Other athletes who have been awarded the most prestigious award in Russia include Olympic gold medalist and Paralympic medalists.
And with a win over ‘The Future’ Machado Garry, Makhachev will take another giant leap towards cementing himself as the greatest Russian athlete in MMA history.
2026-07-03 17:00:00
