Islam Makhachev has repeatedly drawn attention to construction problems in Dagestan, specifically poor-quality housing developments and unauthorized construction in Makhachkala. Seventeen days ago, during regional flooding, Makhachev called on regional leadership to address construction issues, stating that "Makhachkala has turned into one chaotic construction site." Today he reposted geographer Dmitry Koryukhin, a school teacher in Dagestan, who shared aerial photos showing the urban development disaster. The post commends Makhachev for recognizing and highlighting this regional issue.
UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev has turned his public platform toward a pressing civic issue back home, using social media over recent weeks to highlight what he describes as a construction crisis unfolding in Makhachkala, the capital of Dagestan.
Seventeen days before this report, during a period of regional flooding, Makhachev called on local leadership to confront the problem directly, characterizing the city as having become "one chaotic construction site." The flooding appeared to amplify existing concerns about poor-quality housing developments and unauthorized construction spreading across the city. He followed up this week by reposting aerial photographs shared by Dmitry Koryukhin, a school teacher and geographer based in Dagestan, whose images illustrate the scale of the urban development disorder. The repost was accompanied by recognition of Makhachev for drawing attention to the issue.
Makhachev, 34, is currently the reigning welterweight champion and holds the number-one spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. The Russian fighter out of Eagles MMA carries a record of 28 wins and one loss, and has built his championship run on a technically suffocating style that combines elite grappling — averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes — with a striking accuracy of 58 percent. He stands five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach and competes out of a southpaw stance.
Why it matters
- Makhachev is among the most prominent athletes to emerge from Dagestan, giving his civic statements significant reach both locally and internationally.
- His repeated engagement with the issue, across multiple posts spanning at least two and a half weeks, signals a sustained personal concern rather than a one-off comment.
- The aerial photography shared through his account brings wider visibility to what local observers have described as a long-running planning and construction problem in Makhachkala.
