Islam Makhachev defended his UFC Lightweight Championship for the third time on June 1 at UFC 302 against Dustin Poirier. This has tied him with UFC veterans such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Frankie Edgar and BJ Penn for the most lightweight defenses. After achieving this feat, Makhachev was honored in his hometown of Dagestan and he received a medal of honor from the head of the Republic of Dagestan, Sergei Melikov.
Melikov praised Makhachev for his another great win
A video was shared and translated by Red Corner MMA in which Melikov can be seen stating that he believes they should not hold back in praising Makhachev after another stunning victory in the sport. Sergei also noted that it is very important for them to keep winning in sports that have become national for their people. “The Dagestanis rule all eight corners of the cage,” he said.
Melikov further stated that the Dagestani people are proud of Islam Makhachev and the entire region was rooting for and watching him. To this, the lightweight champion responded, “We know you support us and watch us fight, so we give our all to not let you down.”
Makhachev has now joined Khabib Nurmagomedov and his late father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, in receiving awards from the Head of the Republic of Dagestan. In 2019, it was Vladimir Vasilyev who was the Head of the Republic of Dagestan and presented awards to both Khabib and his father for their services.
Makhachev wants to be a double champion
Recently, Makhachev has shown his interest in capturing another UFC title and becoming a double champion, but before this, he still has to do some work in the lightweight division before receiving the opportunity to become a double champ. His potential next matchup is said to be Arman Tsarukyan, who will try to capture the lightweight title from Makhachev.
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Tsarukyan and Makhachev previously clashed at UFC Fight Night in 2019. Although Islam won the fight via unanimous decision, the bout is still viewed as one of the toughest of his career. Meanwhile, the fight marked the UFC debut for the “Ahalkalakets,” who took the fight at short notice and was just 22-year-old at the time.
