Legacy! Islam Makhachev receives an extremely important title outside of the UFC; understand why.

Makhachev celebrates his UFC victory. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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It's no secret that, like Khabib Nurmagomedov , Islam Makhachev has also transcended MMA due to his legacy, which has been expanded. Last weekend, the welterweight champion (up to 77,1 kg), who is preparing to defend his title for the first time against Ian Garry at UFC 33, an event scheduled to take place on August 15th in Philadelphia (USA), officially received the title of 'Honorary Master of Sport of Russia' directly from the country's Minister of Sport. The information was released by the International Sambo Federation.

And this is no small feat. On the contrary, the specific title is the most prestigious in Russia. As expected, Makhachev won the honor in the sambo discipline, which is the main sport practiced in the country.

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Furthermore, the UFC champion is a Combat Sambo specialist and, alongside Fedor Emelianenko and Khabib Nurmagomedov (who also hold that title), represents and elevates the martial art in MMA. It's worth noting that in February, Makhachev was named a global ambassador for sambo.

“Makhachev is an exceptional athlete. A world champion in Combat Sambo, he has made an unprecedented contribution to the popularization of our beloved martial art on the international stage. Competing in the UFC, he became champion in two weight classes and established himself at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings of the best fighters in the world,” said the president of the International Sambo Federation.

"In front of an international audience of millions, he consistently and proudly speaks of Combat SAMBO as his original discipline, demonstrating in the cage just how powerful and effective our sport truly is," he concluded.

Makhachev's fighters in MMA

Islam Makhachev , 34, is a UFC double champion and an MMA legend. With four successful title defenses, the Russian holds the record in the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg). He began his career in the sport in 2010 and debuted in the UFC's biggest organization in 2015.

In this discipline, Khabib Nurmagomedov 's friend built a record of 28 wins and one loss. His main victories were over Alexander Volkanovski (twice), Arman Tsarukyan , Charles Oliveira , Dustin Poirier , Jack Della Maddalena , and Renato Moicano.

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