Islam Makhachev is the reigning UFC lightweight champion. Born in the city of Makhachkala in Dagestan, Russia, Makhachev captured the 155-pound belt by defeating Charles Oliveira at the main event of UFC 280 last October 22, 2022 at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
He has since defended the belt twice, both against former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. Height was an important factor against Volkanovski. At 5-6 tall, the Australian surrendered four inches in height to the 5-10 Makhachev and that affected the way Volk fought.
As a striker, Volkanovski fought mostly on the feet and was used to beating up guys in his division who were of his size. But against the taller Makhachev, he had to adjust his striking approach and that was one of the factors that dictated the outcome of their two bouts.
Meanwhile, Makhachev’s height of 5-10 is the median height for UFC lightweights. His predecessor and mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, was right at the same height at 5-9 tall. On the other hand, the division’s current top contender, the aforementioned Oliveira stands 5-10 tall as well. Islam is currently linked to a fight with No. 3 ranked Dustin Poirier and the Diamond is listed at 5-9 tall or an inch shorter than Makhachev.
Currently, the tallest lightweight fighter in the UFC is Jalin Turner. The 28-year old from Los Angeles is listed at 6-3 tall. Turner is ranked 10th in the latest UFC rankings and isn’t expected to fight Makhachev anytime soon.