Once a soft-spoken, shy guy who barely uttered a word in English during interviews, Islam Makhachev has not only cemented his place as UFC’s lightweight champion but also found his voice—and it turns out, it’s got jokes.
Whether he’s playfully roasting Daniel Cormier or teasing his longtime mentor Khabib, no one’s safe from his growing sense of humor. And his latest jab?
It came at the expense of his teammate Deron Winn, whose plans to train in Dagestan were met with yet another classic Makhachev one-liner.
Winn is an MMA fighter and former UFC middleweight competitor. He’s known for his wrestling prowess, having been a U.S. national team member in freestyle wrestling. Winn trains out of the American Kickboxing Academy alongside the likes of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Daniel Cormier, and Islam himself.
Winn took to Instagram to share a heartfelt post with Islam and Khabib, who are currently in Dagestan courtesy of this being an off season. “Miss my brothers. Maybe I come Dagestan 2-3 *weeks* then leave?” he said.
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Islam, of course, responded to it by joking, “You need 10 years”. If it seems a bit out of context, that’s because you watching season 3 of his saga.
The season 1 pilot had Islam suggest to Cormier about sending his son to Dagestan for a few years to develop top-tier wrestling skills. In a lighthearted exchange, Makhachev remarked, “Send him [to Dagestan for] 2-3 years and forget.”
However, Makhachev’s retort at Winn suggests that the middleweight would need more than a few years to hone his wrestling skills.
Makhachev taking the mickey out of his teammates is nothing new. And the one person who always seems to be in his crosshairs is Cormier.
Makhachev flames Cormier out of ‘concern’
Islam and Cormier share a close friendship marked by playful banter, especially regarding Cormier’s weight.
Back in 2022, DC had joined WWE’s Extreme Rules PLE to serve as a guest referee in a match between Seth Rollins and former UFC star Matt Riddle.
Watching DC run to the ring, Islam couldn’t hide his laugh at the time and joked, “Look at this fat guy… He cannot compete anymore; he is a referee right now.” He continued, “He doesn’t want to no more cutting, he wants to eat all day. Burgers, chips, this guy is so smart.”
Another memorable moment occurred during a broadcast when Makhachev teased Cormier about his eating habits, sarcastically comparing him to football star Cristiano Ronaldo. Makhachev said, “You’re so big now,” highlighting the contrast between Cormier’s physique and Ronaldo’s renowned fitness.
Their friendly jabs extend to public appearances as well. During an episode of the Good Guy/Bad Guy show hosted by Cormier and Chael Sonnen, Makhachev suggested a name change, quipping, “We have to change the name to your podcast. Fat guy and bad guy. More cool.”
He even slid a fat joke into a conversation about Khabib being thrown out of a plane last year, joking it would have made sense if they had asked DC to leave since he would actually block the way to an emergency exit.
