Olympic wrestlers Ahmed Tazhudinov and Razambek Zhamalov are currently training at a camp in Kislovodsk alongside UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. This training collaboration highlights the close relationship between high-level wrestling and MMA in the Dagestani athletic community. Makhachev frequently trains with elite wrestlers to maintain his grappling edge. The post indicates Makhachev is actively preparing for his next fight. Details about the specific nature or duration of the training camp were not provided.
UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is sharpening his grappling credentials at a training camp in Kislovodsk, Russia, where he has been joined by Olympic wrestlers Ahmed Tazhudinov and Razambek Zhamalov as he prepares for his next title defense.
Makhachev, 34, holds a 28-1 record and currently stands as both the lightweight champion and the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. The Russian southpaw, who stands five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach, is one of the most complete grapplers in MMA. He averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 1.1 submission attempts in the same span, backing that up with a striking accuracy of 58 percent and 2.63 significant strikes per minute. Makhachev trains out of Eagles MMA and has long been known to supplement his camp work with elite-level wrestling partners drawn from the wider Dagestani athletic community.
Tazhudinov and Zhamalov bring Olympic-level credentials to the mat, representing the kind of high-caliber wrestling room that has consistently kept Makhachev among the sharpest grapplers in any weight class. The collaboration underscores the deep pipeline between competitive wrestling and MMA that continues to define the Dagestani sporting culture.
Why it matters
- Makhachev training with Olympic wrestlers signals he is actively preparing for a title fight, though no opponent or date has been announced.
- The camp reinforces his grappling-first identity heading into what would be a defense of the lightweight belt.
- Kislovodsk has become a noted high-altitude training destination, suggesting a structured, serious preparation block rather than casual sparring.
