Mukhamed Berhamov, who has sparred with Shavkat Rakhmonov, Kamaru Usman, and Ian Garry among others, says Islam Makhachev is the physically strongest welterweight he has ever encountered. Berhamov highlighted Makhachev's grip strength and clinch control, noting that once Makhachev latches on it is extremely difficult to break free. He added that Makhachev's physical power is impossible to appreciate without actually working with him, as it is not apparent from appearance alone.
Mukhamed Berhamov, a sparring partner with an extensive résumé inside elite welterweight camps, has offered a striking assessment of Islam Makhachev's physical attributes, declaring the champion the strongest 170-pounder he has ever worked with.
Berhamov has shared the mat and the cage with some of the division's most decorated names, including Shavkat Rakhmonov, Kamaru Usman, and Ian Garry. That breadth of experience gives his words particular weight. Rakhmonov, the undefeated Kazakhstani known as "Nomad," carries a 19-0 record and stands six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach, making him one of the more physically imposing welterweights in the sport. Usman, a former champion nicknamed "The Nigerian Nightmare," holds a 21-5 record and at six feet tall with a 76-inch reach has long been regarded as one of the strongest wrestlers the division has ever produced.
Despite sparring with both, Berhamov singles out Makhachev as a level apart physically. The reigning welterweight champion and current pound-for-pound number-one fighter carries a 29-1 record at 34 years of age. Standing five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach, Makhachev does not project the kind of physical dominance that larger fighters do at a glance — and that, according to Berhamov, is precisely the point. The Russian southpaw averages more than three takedowns per 15 minutes, a figure that reflects the relentless, suffocating wrestling that Berhamov described. Once Makhachev locks onto a clinch, Berhamov said, breaking free is extraordinarily difficult — a quality his grip strength makes nearly inescapable.
Berhamov's central observation is that Makhachev's power is simply not visible from the outside. It only reveals itself when someone is physically in contact with him.
Why it matters
- Makhachev's wrestling credentials are already elite on paper, but firsthand accounts from experienced sparring partners add texture to what the numbers show.
- The assessment reinforces how Makhachev's game is built around control rather than appearance, complicating stylistic preparation for any future opponent.
- Coming from someone who has worked with multiple top welterweights, the comparison carries more credibility than a single-camp perspective would.
