Islam Makhachev's top 5 finishes in the UFC feat. Renato Moicano

Islam Makhachev (left, and right in inset) is beheld as one of the greatest fighters in MMA today [Images courtesy: Getty Images]
Islam Makhachev (left, and right in inset) is beheld as one of the greatest fighters in MMA today [Images courtesy: Getty Images]

Islam Makhachev has established himself as one of the most feared fighters in the UFC over the past few years. During the early stages of his UFC career, some of his detractors often accused him of excessive dependence on winning fights on the judges' scorecards and allegedly lacking the ability to finish fights.

Well, Makhachev turned things around in a major way after his infamous knockout defeat against Adriano Martins back in 2015. The Dagestani combatant worked on his striking under the tutelage of AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) coach Javier Mendez and significantly improved his stand-up game. His already impressive grappling also kept evolving, making him a well-rounded fighter overall.

Today, after another amazing finish from the 33-year-old fighter, we look at some of his very best stoppage wins. Here are the top five Islam Makhachev UFC finishes!


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#5 Gleison Tibau

Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov and current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev have long been friends and training partners. The undefeated Nurmagomedov retired from MMA in October 2020 but has continued training. 'The Eagle' has extensively served as a coach for his friends, including Makhachev, and cousins like Umar Nurmagomedov.

Another bond that Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev share is their rivalry against Gleison Tibau. Nurmagomedov secured a razor-thin unanimous decision victory against the Brazillian combatant in 2012. Many, to this date, assert that Tibau was more deserving of the win on the scorecards and that it was the only bout that should officially count as a loss on Nurmagomedov's MMA record.

Makhachev notably fought Tibau at UFC 220 in January 2018 and made waves by finishing him just 57 seconds into round one, by knockout nonetheless! The southpaw seemed to swiftly feint a right hand and unleashed a thunderous left hand that knocked him down. Makhachev followed up with a few ground strikes, and the fight was waved off.

The Tibau stoppage is still regarded as one of Makhachev's most impressive performances and finishes he's scored in the UFC and his MMA career overall.

Watch the vicious finish below:


#4 Dustin Poirier

Islam Makhachev's third defense of the UFC lightweight championship came against former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in June 2024. Heading into the event, many felt that a veteran fighter like Poirier, who had a strong grappling arsenal and a slick striking game, could prove to be a prime Makhachev's kryptonite.

Also, it marked Poirier's third attempt at capturing the undisputed UFC lightweight championship. It led many to believe that he'd leave no stone unturned in trying to dethrone Makhachev and fulfill his dream of winning undisputed gold. 'The Diamond' proved them right by leaving it all inside the octagon, but it still wasn't enough to beat Makhachev!

Makhachev matched Poirier in the striking department, which surprised many fans and experts. The blood-soaked war saw the champion utilize his superior grappling to eventually get the better of his crafty American foe. Makhachev submitted him with a D'Arce choke in the fifth and final round, notching his third consecutive lightweight title defense.

Watch the Makhachev vs. Poirier fight below:

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#3 Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski 2

Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is often hailed as one of the most well-rounded combatants in MMA history. The Australian MMA great was unbeaten in the UFC until he ran into Islam Makhachev. Their first encounter witnessed then-featherweight kingpin Volkanovski move up in weight to face Makhachev for the latter's lightweight title at UFC 284 in February 2023.

The fight was an all-out war, and many believe that Volkanovski did enough to warrant a win on the judges' scorecards. However, the judges saw it differently and awarded Makhachev a unanimous decision win, enabling him to retain his lightweight belt. Makhachev was then booked to face ex-lightweight kingpin Charles Oliveira in a rematch at UFC 294 in October 2023.

Nevertheless, Oliveira suffered a cut over his eye, ruling him out of the fight. Then-featherweight champion Volkanovski stepped in, with less than two weeks left for UFC 294, to face Makhachev for the lightweight belt in a rematch.

Granted that 'The Great' accepted the fight on dangerously short notice and was presumably not in his usual elite condition physically, but one simply can't deny Makhachev's dominance in the rematch. He learned from their previous clash and displayed incredible striking. Makhachev craftily finished Volkanovski with a head kick and follow-up ground strikes to defend his title and close out UFC 294 in style.

Watch Makhachev's knockout win over Volkanovski below:

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#2 Charles Oliveira

Islam Makhachev captured the vacant UFC lightweight championship in spectacular fashion at UFC 280 in October 2022. The grappling wizard from Dagestan, Russia, did so by going up against former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira.

Many viewed Brazil's Oliveira as one of the rare fighters who could match Makhachev skill-for-skill in the grappling department. Additionally, 'Do Bronx' developed a reputation for being a truly dangerous striker over the years. Certain sections of the MMA community argued that Oliveira's knockout power, supposed striking superiority, and submission prowess would help him defeat Makhachev.

Regardless, Makhachev showcased excellent striking and greater grappling skills. He took Oliveira down multiple times in round one and stayed disciplined by not overextending and putting himself at risk of being submitted by Oliveira, who's known to be dangerous even from the bottom position.

In round two, Makhachev dropped him with a right hook and swiftly secured the tap with a tight arm-triangle choke to win the title.

Watch the fight and Makhachev's stoppage of Oliveira below:

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#1 Islam Makhachev's dominance against Renato Moicano at UFC 311

Islam Makhachev made history at UFC 311 on Jan. 18, 2025, by breaking the record for the most consecutive UFC lightweight title defenses (3) by notching his fourth consecutive defense of the title. However, the journey to the fight, the win, and the glory was a rollercoaster ride!

Makhachev was initially booked to defend his lightweight belt against longtime rival Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311. He'd previously beaten Tsarukyan via unanimous decision in a non-title bout back in April 2019. Well, one day before the event, Tsarukyan withdrew due to a back injury, so the rematch fell apart.

Instead, Renato Moicano, who was scheduled to face Beneil Dariush on the card, was brought in to replace Tsarukyan. Makhachev agreed to fight him on short notice, which some felt was a risky move because Moicano was a different stylistic matchup as compared to Tsarukyan, who Makhachev had been preparing for.

Nevertheless, Makhachev ended up delivering one of his most dominant performances ever, steering clear of most of Moicano's heavy strikes, taking things to the mat, and then submitting him with a D'Arce choke in the very first round.

Watch Islam Makhachev's finish of Renato Moicano below (0:55):

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Edited by Anurag Mitra
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