The history of Russian UFC champions from Taktarov to Makhachev

Movsar Yevloev will fight his first UFC championship on October 24, 2026. At the UFC 333 tournament in Abu Dhabi, the Russian will face featherweight belt holder Alexander Volkanovsky. The victory will allow him to join the fighters whose performances have become important milestones in the history of Russian mixed martial arts. From Oleg Taktarov's tournament triumph to Islam Makhachev's titles in two weight categories — in the Izvestia article.

Oleg Taktarov

The history of Russian victories in the UFC began long before the appearance of Khabib Nurmagomedov. On July 14, 1995, Oleg Taktarov won the UFC 6 tournament in Casper, USA. To do this, he had to fight three matches in one evening. In the final, the Russian faced David "Tank" Abbott and forced him to surrender with a choke hold after 17 minutes and 45 seconds of combat.

Taktarov's achievement dates back to the early era of the UFC, when competitions were held in the format of single-elimination tournaments without dividing into modern weight categories. Therefore, his status differs from the championship of subsequent Russian belt holders: Taktarov became the winner of a particular tournament.

The fighter, who performed under the nickname Russian Bear, remained one of the recognizable representatives of the first generation of the UFC. He later built an acting career and appeared in Hollywood films, but his three wins at UFC 6 have kept him in the history of mixed martial arts.

Khabib Nurmagomedov

We had to wait almost 23 years for the next Russian championship breakthrough. In April 2018, Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated American Al Yaquinta by unanimous decision at UFC 223 and won the vacant lightweight belt. So began the championship period, which he completed without losing the title in the octagon.

Nurmagomedov has made three successful defenses: against Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier and Justin Gage. All three fights ended ahead of schedule. After defeating Geiji at UFC 254 in October 2020, the Russian announced his retirement. His final record was 29 wins without losses, including 13 wins in the UFC.

Khabib's legacy is defined by a combination of championship wins and an undefeated record. He retired from the sport as the current belt holder, and in 2022 was inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame.

Peter Yan

Petr Yan became the UFC champion for the first time in July 2020. At the UFC 251 tournament in Abu Dhabi, the Russian faced Brazilian Jose Aldo in a duel for the vacant bantamweight title. Yang gradually built up his advantage and won by technical knockout in the fifth round.

The first defense ended with the loss of the belt. In March 2021, at UFC 259, Yang landed a prohibited knee blow to the head of Aljamaine Sterling, who was in a position on the ground, and was disqualified. Already in October, the Russian defeated Corey Sandhagen and won the interim title, but the return of a full-fledged championship belt had to wait a few more years.

In December 2025, at UFC 323, Yang took revenge on Merab Dvalishvili, winning by unanimous decision, and again led the division. Now his history includes two championship periods. The third fight with Dvalishvili is scheduled for October 24 — Yang will defend the belt at the same tournament where Yevloev will try to win his first one.

The first double UFC champion from Russia is Islam Makhachev. Biography

Islam Makhachev

In October 2022, Islam Makhachev returned the lightweight belt, which previously belonged to Nurmagomedov. At UFC 280, he defeated Brazilian Charles Oliveira with a choke hold in the second round and became the holder of the vacant title.

Then Makhachev set the UFC lightweight record for the most successful defenses in a row — four. He defeated Alexander Volkanovsky twice, after which he beat Dustin Poirier and Renato Moicano ahead of schedule. This result allowed him to surpass the achievement of Khabib, who defended the belt three times.

In 2025, Makhachev vacated the title and moved up to the welterweight category. In November, at UFC 322, the Russian defeated Jack Della Maddalena by unanimous decision and became the champion of the second division. He owned belts in two weights consistently.

In August 2026, Makhachev defended his new title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330. This victory was his 17th in a row in the organization, a record streak in the history of the UFC.

Magomed Ankalaev

Magomed Ankalaev got his first opportunity to win the light heavyweight belt in December 2022. However, his fight with Jan Blachowicz at UFC 282 ended in a draw, and the vacant title remained without an owner. The Russian has been waiting for a new championship fight for more than two years.

In March 2025, at UFC 313, Ankalaev faced Brazilian Alex Pereira. At the end of five rounds, all three judges gave the victory to the Russian fighter. Ankalaev won a belt in a division where Russian athletes had previously failed to achieve the championship.

I couldn't hold the title for long. In October of the same year, Pereira won a rematch at UFC 320 by technical knockout in the first round. Ankalaev's championship period ended without successful defenses, but his victory in the first bout with the Brazilian cemented his name in UFC history.

Khamzat Chimaev

Khamzat Chimayev holds a special place in this gallery. He was born in Chechnya, started his professional career in Sweden, and represented the United Arab Emirates for the championship fight. Therefore, in his case, it is important to distinguish between his Russian origin and the country for which he stands in the UFC.

In August 2025, at UFC 319, Chimaev defeated South African Drikus Du Plessis and won the middleweight belt. The basis of the victory was a struggle: the challenger moved the opponent to the floor and controlled him for most of the meeting. All three judges scored the same score — 50:44.

However, the first defense was unsuccessful. In May 2026, at UFC 328, Chimaev lost to Sean Strickland by split decision. He lost his championship belt and lost for the first time in his professional career.

Who's next on the list?

Movsar Yevloev is approaching his first championship bout with a record of 20 wins without defeats and the first place in the featherweight rankings. He won ten victories in the UFC. In March 2026, the Russian passed a five-round check in London, defeating Leron Murphy by a majority decision.

His defeated opponents include Dan Ige, Diego Lopez, Arnold Allen and former lightweight champion Aljamain Sterling. Now Yevloev will have to face Volkanovsky, who regained the belt in April 2025, and in early 2026 successfully defended it in a repeat fight with Lopez.