Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and former sambo competitor. He currently competes in the Lightweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Lightweight Champion. Makhachev has competed professionally since 2010, along with becoming a combat sambo world champion in 2016 and two-time Russian national champion at 74 kg. As of 7 November 2023, he is #1 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

Makhachkala, previously known as Petrovskoye and Port-Petrovsk, or by the local Kumyk name of Anji, is the capital and largest city of Dagestan, Russia. The city is located on the Caspian Sea, covering an area of 468.13 square kilometres, with a population of over 623,254 residents, while the urban agglomeration covers over 3,712 square kilometres, with a population of roughly 1 million residents. Makhachkala is the fourth-largest city in the Caucasus, the largest city in the North Caucasus and the North Caucasian Federal District, as well as the third-largest city on the Caspian Sea. The city is extremely ethnically diverse, with a minor ethnic Russian population.