Islam Makhachev captured inside MMA cage in Dagestan mountains filming a Netflix documentary
Islam Makhachev's stardom continues to grow, and the lightweight champion has reportedly begun filming a documentary that will be aired on Netflix. He was recently filmed shadowboxing in an MMA cage in the mountains of Dagestan, where he is from.
His close friend and teammate, Khabib Nurmagomedov, properly introduced UFC fans to the lifestyle that the people of Dagestan have no option but to adopt. Living in harsh conditions, many believe, is a big part of why Nurmagomedov and Makhachev were became bonafide world-class fighters.
Since defeating Charles Oliveira at UFC 280 to become the lightweight champion, Makhachev's star power has grown immensely. One could argue he is the most popular active UFC fighter across the globe, and his upcoming documentary will be devoured by his passionate fan base.
Footage of him being filmed by a production crew whilst shadowboxing in the Dagestani mountains was uploaded to Instagram by @khabib.com_tv. They wrote this:
"Islam Makhachev in the mountains of Dagestan, inside an MMA cage set up specifically for filming a documentary."
Check out the post featuring Islam Makhachev in the mountains below:
There is no indication of when the documentary will be released. With Makhachev being rumored to be defending his lightweight title against Arman Tsarukyan in January, the documentary's release could coincide with the fight card.
Islam Makhachev's coach tells Ilia Topuria he's welcome to come to Dagestan
Ilia Topuria defend his featherweight crown against Max Holloway at UFC 308 and became the first man to defeat the Hawaiian by KO. Ahead of the bout, the Spaniard also stated that if he faced Islam Makhachev, he would be the first fighter to submit the 155-pound champion.
Topuria's prediction against Holloway, just as his prediction against Makhachev, was met with plenty of doubt. However, after following through on his promise against Holloway, the lightweight champion's coach, Javier Mendez, has shared his thoughts on 'El Matador' claiming he would submit the Dagestani.
Mendez was recently interviewed by Red Corner MMA, where he said this:
"To be the first one to submit Islam is a big thing to throw out there... Maybe [Topuria] is that confident because of what he does over there. But what's the quality of opponents he's doing it to? I don't know that."
He continued:
"You come to Dagestan, and [if] you're submitting everybody there, then we can talk. But if you're doing it at home, you're not doing it with the beasts that are in Abdulmanap's gym... The only person I've seen do anything to Islam is Khabib [Nurmagomedov]."
Catch Mendez discuss Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria below: