Islam Makhachev Says Second UFC Belt Didn’t Feel as Special as the First
Islam Makhachev says winning a second UFC belt didn’t feel as euphoric as capturing the title for the first time.
The Russian fighter dominantly captured the 155-pound championship by knocking down Charles Oliveira and then forcing the submission artist to tap out with an arm-triangle choke at UFC 280.
Makhachev says that the UFC 280 moment cannot be compared to anything else.
Islam Makhachev admits that becoming a two-division champion did not match the UFC 280 feeling
Following four successful title defenses at lightweight, in 2025, Islam Makhachev decided to move up in pursuit of two-division glory. For his welterweight debut, he faced then-champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.
The title bout was a one-sided affair, all credit to Makhachev’s superior ground game. After 5 rounds of pure dominance, he cruised to a unanimous decision win and joined the list of UFC two-division champions.
However, the feeling at UFC 280 was far more powerful and euphoric than at UFC 322, even with two belts on his shoulder. During a recent sit-down with Arena Fight TV, the P4P king admitted the same:
“I remember the emotion I had when [Charles Oliveira] tapped. It’s crazy. It’s the moment when you understand well done. Everything is finished. How many years you spent, did everything right to become a UFC champion? It’s there. It’s the moment. It’s the emotion that I think I never felt before, and I am never going to feel again.”
He added:
“When I become double champ, same thing, it’s not the same. The first belt is the biggest thing for my life.”
Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments below:
Islam Makhachev is expected to make the first defense of his welterweight title post-Ramadan. Being a 170-pounder now, he doesn’t have to deal with drastic weight cuts, and hence wants to compete more often.
The Russian fighter has also expressed interest in competing at the UFC White House event. Most recently, he stated that he’s game to face “El Matador” on June 14 if the promotion approves the idea.
