Islam Makhachev’s manager, Rizvan Magomedov, has floated a grappling or freestyle wrestling match against Khamzat Chimaev as a possible outside project for the UFC welterweight champion. Bloody Elbow picked up the comments from Magomedov’s interview with Bostanov MMA (via Red Corner MMA). The timing is awkward, because people are already loudly questioning how often Makhachev fights inside the Octagon.
“We cannot rule out seeing him compete,” Magomedov said. He was clear about who he doesn’t want. A Diaz brother would bring attention, he admitted, but he dismissed the idea outright: “It would be one-sided. I do not see any threat, especially in wrestling.”
His preferred list was short and heavy on wrestlers. “We should look at guys who can wrestle,” Magomedov said, naming Colby Covington, Chimaev and Kamaru Usman as matchups he’d find interesting, and adding that the camp could look further down the list.
Why the side quest talk now
UFC fighters wrestling and grappling between Octagon appearances is no longer a novelty. Chimaev and Arman Tsarukyan have both competed in Real American Freestyle, and Tsarukyan has also taken submission-only bouts under other banners. According to Bloody Elbow, Makhachev could follow that route in 2027.
A Makhachev vs. Chimaev fight in the UFC got a lot less likely once Chimaev had to leave welterweight because of weight struggles. A wrestling match gets around that problem completely. No cut and no five rounds, just two of the best top-position grapplers alive working for scores.
Usman has history with Makhachev’s ambitions too. In 2025, before Makhachev was booked to defend the welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry, he was pushing for a legends fight with Usman. Usman, like Makhachev, hasn’t competed in RAF or with promotions like Hype FC.
Covington has been the busiest of the three. After retiring from UFC competition, he won the RAF cruiserweight crossover title. Then, earlier this week, he took a late-notice submission-only match against Raul Rosas Jr. at a Hype FC event in Rome and tapped in 37 seconds.
None of this settles the bigger issue around Makhachev’s schedule. Dana White has said Makhachev verbally agreed to defend his belt against Carlos Prates at UFC 336 in January and then backed out. That has made his delayed 2027 return a sore spot. Bloody Elbow also noted it’s unclear whether Makhachev himself wants these side matches, or whether this is just his manager thinking out loud.
Mara’s take
Of everything Magomedov listed, Makhachev vs. Chimaev on a wrestling mat is the one I’d clear my calendar for. Both men score from front headlocks and body-lock trips, and both love to chain one attack into the next, so you’d get real scrambles between two guys who rarely end up underneath anyone. Covington’s name drops a long way down my list after a 37-second tap to Rosas, and the Diaz idea was never serious. Still, a wrestling match won’t fix the title picture. Prates is still waiting on a date, and fans will judge Makhachev by when he steps back into the Octagon. A grappling match on the side won’t change that.