UFC 322: Why Islam Makhachev's early UFC loss set him on the path to become a potential two-division champ

NEW YORK -- Despite everything that Islam Makhachev has already accomplished in MMA, from setting the UFC lightweight record for title defenses to becoming a perennial pound-for-pound king, there's a feeling that Saturday's UFC 322 main event could be the most important challenge of his 15-year pro career. 

Makhachev (27-1) will look to become the 11th two-division champion in UFC history when he challenges welterweight titleholder Jack Della Maddalena (18-2) inside New York's Madison Square Garden. With a win, the 34-year-old would also tie Hall of Famer Anderson Silva for the most consecutive wins in UFC history with 16. 

"I expect it's going to be a high-level fight and not just for the belt but for many things -- for legacy, for rankings, for the belt," Makhachev told CBS Sports on Wednesday. "I'm very excited to fight this Saturday and this is the biggest fight of my life."

Getting Makhachev, who vacated his 155-pound title in May, to talk specifics regarding the fighting legacy he has built isn't so easy. The proud native of Dagestan, Russia, who began training as a child under the tutelage of teammate Khabib Nurmagomedov's late father Abdulmanap, has long lived a life of discipline, humility and service to his training partners.

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With stoppage wins under his belt against the likes of Dan Hooker, Charles Oliveira, Alexander Volkanovski and Dustin Poirier (not to mention a 2019 decision win over Arman Tsarukyan), Makhachev is already in the midst of authoring one of the greatest singular runs in promotional history. But you won't get Makhachev to pause his one-dimensional mindset of sacrifice long enough to entertain any questions about whether an additional victory against Della Maddalena would cement him as one of the all-time greats in the 32-year history of the UFC. 

"Myself, I don't know. I cannot say this," Makhachev said. "Maybe people who make the rankings, they are going to make it. But, myself, [I'm] just focusing on hard opponent [and] to win the belt."

Makhachev's 2015 UFC debut came and went without much fanfare as he submitted Leo Kunts via rear-naked choke in Round 2, buried deep on the early prelims of a UFC 187 pay-per-view in Las Vegas. But it was his second appearance in the Octagon at UFC 192, just five months later in Houston, that turned out to be a massive turning point in Makhachev's life and career.

In a moment he almost reluctantly recalls as "a big mistake," Makhachev charged forward with his hands down late in Round 1 against Brazilian journeyman Adriano Martins and was flattened by a perfectly timed right hook to the jaw. Even though Makhachev never lost consciousness, the fight was instantly waived off and ruled a knockout. 

Two fights (and two defeats) later, Martins was cut from the UFC and would go on to close his pro career having lost six of his final seven. But Makhachev, on the other hand, would never lose again. Six years after his lone pro defeat, and following the retirement of his unbeaten teammate Nurmagomedov, Makhachev fulfilled his late coach's prophecy by submitting Oliveira at UFC 280 in 2022 to become lightweight champion.

So, how important was the loss to Martins in Makhachev's evolution?  

"If you ask me, of course I want to believe this. It was something important that made me become more of a great fighter," Makhachev said. "I learned a lot from this fight. Maybe, if I did not lose, I would not have become a champion."

Makhachev is noticeably more thick and muscular as he prepares for his first scheduled fight at 170 pounds and he credits the unusually long layoff of 10 months for allowing him to put on the weight "the right way," in a systematic approach that won't compromise his speed or power in the new weight class. It was the longest break of Makhachev's career since 2020, when injuries and COVID-19 travel issues kept him idle for 18 months.

The thing is, even if Makhachev hadn't been preparing for such an important move up in weight entering the biggest challenge of his pro career, the work put in behind the scenes likely would've been the same. That's because training isn't a means to an end for Makhachev as much as it's the only life he knows and/or desires. 

Asked about the keys to his consistency and the secret behind having authored such an impressive win streak as long as 15 inside the Octagon, where he has mostly faced elite competition in a sport where there are so many ways to lose, Makhachev didn't hesitate. 

"Hard work," Makhachev said. "I know someone who is training more than me can beat me but I know nobody training more than me. That's the key."

In fact, when pressed with rumors regarding the idea that he might retire early while still in his physical prime (similar to Nurmagomedov) should he defeat Della Maddalena, Makhachev quickly dismissed the idea altogether by referencing the fact that he barely made it a full week while attempting to rest after his first-round submission win over Renato Moicano in January without resorting back to his preferred lifestyle.

"I started training because when you did something all of your life, you miss it," Makhachev said. "I'm not good on other things [in life], I'm good in the MMA. I missed training after one week. I want to [keep] fighting and I will be fighting for more years because I feel, when I change weight now [to 170 pounds], it's easier to fight more often."

Should Makhachev continue to fight on (and continue to win) as he moves up to the deepest division in the sport, it won't be long until he surpasses the legacy and achievements of Nurmagomedov, who retired in 2020 at age 32 (fulfilling a promise to his mother and late father) as the reigning P4P king with a record of 29-0 following a trio of dominant submission wins over Conor McGregor, Poirier and Justin Gaethje. 

In fact, considering the history Makhachev is already on the verge of achieving should he defeat Della Maddalena, there's a strong argument to be made that Makhachev could already be on the verge of eclipsing the accomplishments of Nurmagomedov this weekend. That doesn't mean Nurmagomedov, who currently trains Makhachev alongside Javier Mendez, has ever had that type of conversation with his teammate nor is it something that is ever thought about much by anyone in the camp. 

"I'm going to be honest, never [have we] talked about this," Makhachev said. "We never think about this, we just help each other like training partners, like brothers. When [Nurmagomedov] became a UFC fighter, I helped him and traveled with him through all training camps and now, he gives it back to me and he helps me a lot."

Ever a card-carrying member of the mindset that "the journey is the destination," Makhachev might not be willing to speak upon his lofty accomplishments but many fans and media will happily do that for him should he become a two-division champion, equal the vaunted streak of Silva and continue to take giant steps closer toward MMA immortality.

"I just don't want people to say [I] was one of the best fighters," Makhachev said. "I want people to recognize me as a good person."