Is Islam Makhachev Muslim? His Faith, Rituals, and the Khabib Myth

Islam Makhachev doesn’t hide his faith between fights — he puts it on display in the cage. From prostrating in prayer after a win to reciting the Fatiha before he ever throws a punch, the UFC lightweight champion’s Islam is visible in almost everything he does on camera.

A Faith Visible in the Cage

Makhachev rarely gives lengthy interviews about religion, but his actions speak for him. He is regularly seen praying after his fights, including immediately after his first professional loss in November 2025, and he routinely says “Alhamdulillah” (“praise be to God”) when discussing his wins, as he did after submitting Charles Oliveira at UFC 280.

His faith has also shaped his schedule. Discussing an upcoming title defense, he told reporters bluntly: “We have to fight before Ramadan, 100 percent,” explaining that a training camp during the fasting month would be far harder to manage at his age and weight.

Not Actually Khabib’s Cousin

One detail gets repeated so often it has become accepted as fact: that Makhachev is Khabib Nurmagomedov’s cousin. Multiple outlets, including EssentiallySports and The Sportster, report that the two are not biologically related at all. They met as teenagers around 2000 through a mutual friend and trained together under Khabib’s father, the late coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov — their bond was forged through years of shared training and faith, not blood.

Using the Platform for Gaza

Makhachev has also turned his post-fight moments into statements of solidarity. After UFC 294 in October 2023, he declined to celebrate his win out of solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Following his UFC 302 title defense in June 2024, he was photographed praying on a Palestinian flag and posted to Instagram: “Do not weaken and do not grieve.”

One frequently repeated claim — that he has completed the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca — appears only in unverified social media posts, with no mainstream news confirmation. It should not be treated as established fact.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Islam Makhachev Sunni or Shia?

Dagestan’s Muslim population is overwhelmingly Sunni, and Makhachev’s public practice is consistent with that, but no interview has him naming a specific school or sect directly — treat any specific label as an assumption, not a confirmed fact.

Is Islam Makhachev really related to Khabib Nurmagomedov?

No. Despite being widely called cousins, they are not biologically related. They met as training partners in Dagestan and built a brotherly relationship over two decades under the same coaching staff.

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