Islam Makhachev shares ‘no brainer’ reason why the UFC is lacking American champions
The US is down to having only one UFC champion in 2025.
It’s pretty crazy to think about, considering that in 2016, there were over a dozen Americans who held onto UFC world titles.
Kayla Harrison, a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist from Ohio, secured her country’s final title win when she dethroned ‘The Venezuelan Vixen’ Julianna Pena at UFC 316 in June.
Former pound-for-pound king Jon Jones was the last American champion from the men’s divisions. The 38-year-old retired from MMA in June, only to tease his return a few weeks later.
Islam Makhachev believes he knows why America is running out of titleholders.
Islam Makhachev says American MMA is in decline because of Dagestan
The #2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter and Dagestan’s former lightweight champion Makhachev was asked what he thinks of the UFC not having any male champions from the U.S.
Makhachev said it’s because of the talent pool that’s coming from the Caucasus region.
“They just started signing more of our guys. That’s the reason,” Makhachev said of American MMA’s decline in an interview with Ushatayka (h/t: Championship Rounds).
“I’m 100% sure there will be more champs from our region.
“From Caucasus, Dagestan, Chechnya…
“No brainer, our guys live for this, for this sport,” Makhachev continued.
Islam Makhachev explains why there are no American champions in the UFC today:
“They just started signing more of our guys, that’s the reason… our guys live for this sport. In the USA, for example, they don’t worry even if they competed bad.
Behind our guys there is a family,… pic.twitter.com/tITWJEw6n7
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 24, 2025
“In the USA, for example, they don’t worry even if they competed bad.
But behind our guys, there is a family, the whole city, the whole republic. And he feels this responsibility and goes out with the full responsibility and wins.”
Georgia is also located in the Caucasus region, which has produced current champions Merab Dvalishvili and Ilia Topuria. Ranked below them and Makhachev in the pound-for-pound rankings is the new middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev, who is from Chechnya.
Islam Makhachev is no longer pound-for-pound #1 in UFC
Makhachev held onto the title of pound-for-pound king only for a few weeks after he relinquished his lightweight title in May.
Makhachev had been ranked the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet since his KO victory over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 294 in Oct. 2023.
Ilia Topuria would be the fighter to take Makhachev off his pedestal, but by beating another former lightweight champion in Charles Oliveira instead at UFC 317 on June 28th.
Makhachev’s near two-year reign as pound-for-pound king came to an end that following Tuesday when the rankings officially changed.
