UFC lightweight star Islam Makhachev has officially joined an elite club of his fighting peers this week- marking just the fourth combatant to do so as well.
Makhachev, the current lightweight champion, has been identified as the most popular fighter from Dagestan, which has exploded as a hotbed for mixed martial arts in the last decade. Enjoying a roughshod run at the 155lbs limit, Makhachev’s popularity has only grown as a result.
And his knack of finishing fights to boot has added to that recent uptake in fandom. Exploding with a title ascension back in 2021, the Dagestani sensation has already racked up four title defenses, becoming the first champion in the division to do so.
And on social media this week, Makhachev reached an elite club with a staggering feat to show for himself. Joining the trio of Conor McGregor, compatriot Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Ronda Rousey, he has scored a stunning 10 million followers on his Instagram account.
And in achieving this staggering feat, Makhachev also dispels the rumor that the UFC is currently suffering from a lack of star power to boot.
Makhachev still on the rise
Facing a race to usurp some names on that list, Makhachev still remains 7 million followers plus behind former bantamweight queen, Rousey. And likely failing to ever conquer the numbers of Nurmagomedov or rival, McGreg0r- the Russian is a jaw-dropping 36.8 million followers behind the Dublin striker.
Coming under fire before his championship win over Charles Oliveira four years ago at UFC 280, Makhachev has since turned the tide significantly.
Once dubbed a one-dimensional fighter like his mentor Khabib, Islam’s evolution into an all-round performer who has outstruck the likes of Dustin Poirier, has made him a true fan favorite.
Currently boasting the number one rank in the official pound-for-pound pile, Makhachev’s unturn in action can only help his growing popularity.
It also helps that he’s absolutely hilarious on the mic, especially during interviews with Daniel Cormier, and has a knack of going viral for saying cute out-of-pocket things.
From making fun of DC’s weight to asking him to join the fight camp to save them all from Khabib’s back-breaking work ethic, every single thing Islam says is hilarious.
He had once even gone viral for talking about how he would win in a fight against a kangaroo because the marsupial only had striking while its grappling had never been checked by any reliable source.
This adds to his insane popularity, even though it doesn’t seem like he’s actively tried to increase a follower count or anything promotional.
Furthermore, on his official X account (formally Twitter), Makhachev boasts almost 700 thousand followers.
Certainly more vocal on that platform, Makhachev has often called for fights with foes or addressed his future fighting plans on X- leading to another uptake in his social media profile.
