Islam Makhachev’s 9.6 million following helps top UFC chart in fandom passing Jon Jones
UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev beats UFC GOAT Jon Jones in Instagram following and overall popularity.
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Islam Makhachev becomes the most followed UFC superstar after beating Jon Jones (via Imago/Instagram)
Islam Makhachev has continuously maintained his status as one of the best fighters on the UFC roster in the last few years. The lightweight champion has dominated his division with four title defenses since taking the throne. Now he’s going against MMA legends like Jon Jones in terms of overall popularity.
Islam Makhachev has a huge online fanbase and recently overtook the UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones in following. Makhachev now has a whopping 9.6 million followers on Instagram, which is 100K more than Jones’ following. The incredible feat was achieved by the pound-for-pound king after his recent win at UFC 311 against Renato Moicano.
Jones has been a global superstar for a long time due to his record and achievements. However, it’s safe to say that Makhachev has a better following among Arab and eastern European countries. After Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s retirement, Makhachev took his place and continued the Dagestani legacy, which helped him gather such a fan following.
Makhachev also has a strong grasp on the YouTube audience, given that his UFC-embedded episodes often attract millions of views. Other than Jones, Makhachev also dominates top fighters such as Alex Pereira and Ilia Topuria in social media numbers. As UFC CEO Dana White recently asserted, the Dagestani is undoubtedly the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world.
Legendary UFC coach talks about Islam Makhachev’s crazy power
Islam Makhachev is undoubtedly one of the most complete UFC champions in recent times. He possesses incredible power, capable of overwhelming opponents with his precision striking and relentless grappling dominance in the octagon. His ability to control fights stems from explosive strength, refined by years of rigorous training under Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dagestan’s elite fighters.
Makhachev’s power, paired with his exceptional technique, makes him a devastating force in the lightweight division of UFC. He has run through some of the best fighters in the lightweight division, and his latest victim was no different. While reviewing the fight at UFC 311, Georges St-Pierre’s coach, Firas Zahabi, shared a unique perspective on Makhachev.
Guys, take a moment to look at Makhachev’s back. How muscular his back is. That’s the key. I’m a big believer in back training. Pull-ups with a weighted belt, it’s such an important exercise for upper back and hand strength. It’s such a beautiful exercise… It’s so good for jiu-jitsu and wrestling.
Firas Zahabi via his YouTube channel
Over the last few years, many experts like Joe Rogan have frequently talked about Makhachev’s brutal squeeze. As Zahabi mentioned, top BJJ black belt holders were observed tapping frantically when choked by the lightweight champion. It would be interesting to see what’s next for the fighter as he pursues a legendary title run.
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Ameetosh Dash
(936 Articles Published)