Islam Makhachev might be one of the strongest fighters in the realm of mixed martial arts. But even the strongest can face trouble with injuries during training. Makhachev, being a soccer fan just like his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, was spotted at what looked like the 2024 UEFA European Football Championship. He was sitting right beside Harry Styles and James Corden. But that’s not what fight fans saw. I bet even you noticed the brace on the lightweight champ’s right hand.

In a video that went viral back in May 2024, Makhachev was seen kicking off a soccer ball while spinning it mid-air to make a goal. The champ even left Nurmagomedov flabbergasted with the shot. His skills with the ball were as impressive as his fighting prowess. However, little did he know that his love for the sport would cast severe doubts on his next fight.

The photo of Makhachev fiddling with his phone at the UEFA stadium with his hand in braces was recently shared on Instagram by ‘knockoutalerts.’ The caption for the post read, “What is Islam doing” Needless to say, the picture had the fighting community arguing about the Dagestani’s fight with Arman Tsarukyan being in jeopardy.

MMA is indeed a sport where injuries are unavoidable. Braces can be used for inflammation, sprains, and strains. However, it can also mean something else. The basic intention is to limit the movement of the joints. But with Makhachev wearing the braces, netizens couldn’t back off from making speculations. Let’s take a look at what the fighting community said about Makhachev’s injury.

Islam Makhachev’s injury casts a shadow of doubt over his next fight

As soon as the Instagram post was shared, the fight fans took over the comments section with their thoughts. Some of the fans seemed sure that the champ would not defend his title anytime soon. “Yeahhhh he’s not fighting till next year 😭 I’m sick,” read a comment. Another fan wrote, “bros got a brace he’s not fighting for a good 3 months.”  

Right after Tsarukyan defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 300, he became the number-one contender in the UFC lightweight division. This, without a doubt, made him eligible to take a shot at the championship title and fight Makhachev. However, some fans seemed to believe that the fight might not materialize. Seeing Makhachev’s hand in a brace apparently confirmed their thoughts. One fan wrote, “Remember that I reported that Islam vs Arman was in jeopardy…interesting to see Islam’s wrist in a cast.” 

Not long after Tsarukyan impressed the MMA world with his phenomenal win at UFC 300, he got himself in trouble. He got engaged in a verbal altercation with a guy in the audience, that soon turned physical. As a result, ‘Ahalkalakets’ had to face a 9-month suspension from the world of mixed martial arts. Needless to say, some of the fans were quick to point it out in the comments. One fan wrote, “good thing arman is suspended for 9 months.” Another fan commented, “shocking news considering Arman is suspended and islam looks to have maybe a sprained wrist lmao.”

Nevertheless, a few fans stood in support of the Dagestani fighter. Makhachev is currently running on a 14-fight win streak. His skills have kept on entertaining the fight fans. After snatching the belt from Oliveira, he defended it twice against Alexander Volkanovski. With his superior grappling abilities, he executed a successful D’arce choke and defeated Dustin Poirier in his last bout. No doubt, Makhachev is indeed one of the most consistent fighters in the MMA promotion. Putting up this point, a fan wrote, “so you want him to defend every two months most of the hate he get’s is unnecessary he’s one of the most consistent and entertaining champions rn.”

What do you think happened to Makhachev? Let us know in the comments down below.