The key facts

  • Makhachev named sambo the key foundation of his development as a fighter
  • He won a world sambo championship after early setbacks
  • Makhachev advised young people to take up sambo primarily for self-defense and protecting their families

Makhachev: sambo is the key foundation of a fighter's development

The reigning UFC welterweight champion and former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev said in an interview with Gazeta.Ru, that it was combat sambo skills that helped him succeed in mixed martial arts. According to him, he competed a lot in sambo: at first things did not go well, but in the end he achieved his goal and won a world championship. Makhachev added that he traveled a lot to training camps and grew much stronger as a fighter by working with other strong fighters.

Advice to young people: sambo for self-defense

Addressing young athletes, Makhachev noted that there are many sports — taekwondo, judo and others — but for self-defense, in his opinion, sambo should come first. «You don't have to become a professional fighter or a champion, but a person should always, first of all, be able to protect himself and his family. And sambo is the best sport for doing that,» the outlet quotes him as saying. The publication also recalls that Makhachev earlier told how Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov led him to success in the UFC.