Olympic wrestlers Ahmed Tazhudinov and Razambek Zhamalov are currently attending a training camp in Kislovodsk alongside UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. The post shares footage from the camp showing the athletes working together. This cross-training between high-level wrestlers and MMA fighters is common in the Dagestan training ecosystem. The post encourages followers to check alternate platforms if the content does not load properly.
Islam Makhachev has been spotted training in Kislovodsk alongside Olympic wrestlers Ahmed Tazhudinov and Razambek Zhamalov, with footage from the camp circulating on social media as of May 2026.
Makhachev, the reigning UFC welterweight champion, holds a record of 28 wins and 1 loss and is ranked as the pound-for-pound best fighter on the planet. The 34-year-old Russian, who competes out of Eagles MMA, brings a southpaw stance, a reach of 70 inches, and one of the more complete games in the sport. He averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 2.63 significant strikes per minute at a striking accuracy of 58 percent, underlining how comfortably his wrestling and striking coexist at the championship level.
The addition of Tazhudinov and Zhamalov to his camp is consistent with the broader Dagestan training ecosystem, where elite Olympic-level wrestlers regularly cross-train with MMA competitors. Both wrestlers bring world-class grappling credentials that offer Makhachev high-resistance drilling partners capable of pushing his takedown offense and defensive wrestling to their limits.
Why it matters
- Makhachev sharpening his wrestling with Olympic-caliber partners signals continued investment in the foundations that have defined his championship reign.
- Training camps in Kislovodsk are well established within the Dagestan MMA network, providing altitude and a concentrated competitive environment.
- Cross-pollination between freestyle wrestling and MMA at this level reflects how deeply the two disciplines are intertwined in the region's athletic culture.
