Jordan Burroughs defeated Magomed Kurbanaliev by a 10-0 technical fall at the RAF Moscow tournament. Following the bout, Burroughs issued a direct callout to UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, declaring he had come to Russia and demanding a meeting with Makhachev on a planned return trip.
Jordan Burroughs traveled to Russia, dominated at the RAF Moscow tournament, and then made sure everyone in the building — and beyond — heard his message for UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.
Burroughs submitted Magomed Kurbanaliev via a 10-0 technical fall at the RAF Moscow event, a performance emphatic enough to serve as its own calling card. After the bout, the decorated American wrestler pointed directly at Makhachev, declaring he had come to Russia and demanding a face-to-face meeting when he returns.
Islam Makhachev enters that conversation as arguably the most complete fighter on the planet. The 34-year-old Dagestani holds a 29-1-0 professional record and currently reigns as UFC lightweight champion while sitting at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings. Fighting out of Eagles MMA and competing as a southpaw, Makhachev stands 178 centimeters tall with a 70-inch reach. His grappling credentials are self-evident — he averages 3.22 takedowns per 15 minutes and 0.9 submission attempts in the same window — and he backs that up with striking efficiency of 58 percent accuracy and 2.27 significant strikes landed per minute.
Why it matters
- Burroughs is a decorated Olympic and world champion wrestler, making any grappling-based callout of Makhachev more than a publicity stunt.
- Makhachev's Dagestani roots and Russian fan base give the callout direct cultural weight, delivered on Russian soil.
- No meeting, negotiation, or official UFC involvement has been reported — this remains a public challenge with no confirmed next steps.
- If any crossover or grappling matchup were to materialize, it would pit two elite wrestlers from opposite sides of one of the sport's great stylistic traditions.
