Daniel Cormier is one of mixed martial arts' most respected champions, and his relationship with Islam Makhachev has become genuinely family-like. The two-time former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion first met Makhachev when he walked into American Kickboxing Academy, unable to speak a lick of English, but immediately showing the talent that would carry him to UFC gold. Cormier gifted Makhachev and cousin Umar Straight Outta Dagestan t-shirts ahead of UFC 311, while their banter runs constantly, with Makhachev teasing DC over his weight and Cormier firing back calling him a weight bully. Makhachev has spent a decade unsuccessfully inviting Cormier to visit Dagestan. Known for relentless dominance and ferocious loyalty, Cormier's bond with Makhachev remains one of combat sports' most heartwarming friendships.
Few relationships in MMA carry the warmth of the one between Daniel Cormier and Islam Makhachev, a friendship forged inside American Kickboxing Academy that has grown into something closer to family over more than a decade.
Cormier, 47, is one of the sport's most decorated veterans. The former two-time UFC champion — holding titles simultaneously at heavyweight and light heavyweight — finished his career 22-3 and remains one of the most accomplished fighters ever to step inside the octagon. Standing five-foot-eleven with a 72-inch reach, "DC" was relentless in competition and carries that same intensity into his relationships with teammates.
Makhachev, now 34 and 29-1, is the reigning welterweight champion and the current pound-for-pound number one. The Dagestan-born southpaw stands five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach and has built his legacy on suffocating control, landing 3.22 takedowns per fifteen minutes while posting a remarkable 58 percent striking accuracy. He arrived at AKA unable to speak English, but his talent was immediately apparent to everyone around him — including Cormier.
The bond between the two has only deepened with time. Ahead of UFC 311, Cormier gifted Makhachev and his cousin Umar Nurmagomedov Straight Outta Dagestan t-shirts, a gesture that captured the playful, brotherly nature of their dynamic. Their running banter is a fixture of both men's public presence — Makhachev needles Cormier about his weight, and Cormier fires back by labeling him a weight bully. For a decade, Makhachev has been extending an open invitation for Cormier to visit Dagestan, so far without success.
Why it matters
- It offers a rare, human look at the culture and loyalty inside one of MMA's elite training camps
- Cormier's mentorship at AKA has played a quiet but meaningful role in Makhachev's rise to the top of the pound-for-pound rankings
- The friendship between a retired all-time great and an active champion reflects the depth of connection that defines the best combat sports gyms
