Islam MAKHACHEV: “SAMBO is the most suitable base for MMA”

A historic meeting between FIAS President Vasily Shestakov and famous athlete Islam Makhachev took place on February 18 at the International SAMBO Center in Luzhniki. The highlight of the event was the conferral of the honorary title "SAMBO Ambassador to the World" upon the legendary fighter – a Combat SAMBO World Champion and UFC champion in multiple weight classes.

Shestakov opened the press conference by underlining the significance of the moment for the entire SAMBO community.

“I would like to announce a joyful event for all sports fans, and above all for SAMBO fans. Our respected fighter, Combat SAMBO World Champion and UFC champion across multiple weight classes, Islam Makhachev, has today agreed to become SAMBO Ambassador to the World. I believe he will be a worthy ambassador who will represent our international federation with distinction. You all know that we have Fedor Emelianenko – they are friends – and Fedor said he is very pleased that Islam Makhachev will join and also represent SAMBO around the world,” said FIAS President Vasily Shestakov.

Makhachev himself noted that the appointment formalizes what has long been a reality: he, alongside Fedor Emelianenko and Khabib Nurmagomedov, has already been representing SAMBO on the world stage of mixed martial arts.

“I already told Mr. Shestakov that I was already unofficially an ambassador of SAMBO to the world. Fedor, Khabib and I are known as representatives of SAMBO – we represent SAMBO in MMA specifically, and people don't talk about us simply as ordinary wrestlers. If we're talking about me personally, about Khabib, about Fedor Emelianenko – I think that those who know MMA would agree, and I'm almost afraid to say it, that the best fighters are precisely the representatives of SAMBO. And the reason I say this is that SAMBO is one of the best options for those who want to transition to MMA, because everything carries over – it's essentially the same thing, just with a kurtka on. The same strikes, and in some aspects SAMBO is even more intense – you could even strike with your head," said Islam Makhachev.

Shestakov echoed this point, highlighting the role of SAMBO as a proven path to elite-level MMA competition.

“Young SAMBO athletes look up to fighters like Islam, follow them, and take inspiration from them. They strive to reach the same level. Because, as Islam rightly said, having built a solid foundation in SAMBO and achieved results – becoming a world champion – it becomes much easier to succeed in UFC competitions and other events,” the FIAS President noted.

Makhachev reinforced this view with a telling observation about the broader pattern across MMA: “As I've already said, if you count the athletes who came from SAMBO and reached the greatest heights in MMA, I think the percentage is very high – which shows that SAMBO is the most suitable base for MMA.”

During the meeting at the SAMBO House, Shestakov presented Makhachev with a personalized SAMBO kurtka bearing his name and the federation's logo. A second kurtka, signed by the champion, was donated to the FIAS Museum, where it will become part of the permanent collection. The FIAS President also extended a personal invitation for Makhachev to attend as guest of honor at the milestone 50th World SAMBO Championships, set to take place in Samarkand in November 2026.