Islam Makhachev has become a fan favorite now. Even Dana White, the man who seldom backs away from lifting Jon Jones on his shoulders as the pound-for-pound king, addressed the lightweight phenom as the P4P #1. UFC commentator Jon Anik claimed that the Dagestani is the most well-rounded fighter in the lightweight division right now. After all, Makhachev is currently on an impressive 14-fight win streak, with 3 successful title defenses. 

However, about 10 years ago, there was a fight where Makhachev was forced to accept defeat via a knockout. What really happened in 2015? Let’s take a deep dive and find out all about Makhchev’s loss and the man who defeated him.

Islam Makhachev’s only MMA loss 

Makhachev’s sole MMA loss came at the hands of Adriano Martins. Their bout at UFC 192 was a battle between southpaws. Something that we don’t usually get, right? For about 90 seconds, the lightweights kept pushing around and exchanging strikes. But soon after that, Makhachev sent forth a wild overhand right fist. And that was the big mistake he committed that night. And a mistake that ended up with a dark blotch on his record. 

The Dagestani’s wild swing closed the gap between him and his Brazilian opponent. However, he had entered a pocket, with his hands down and unable to pull up a guard. This was the perfect moment for Martins to strike back with a counter. And that he did. He sent a strong right punch, which dropped the Dagestani to the ground as the clock struck 1:46. Who would have thought that Khabib Nurmagomedov’s protege would be defeated in his second UFC appearance? 

But Islam Makhachev is a man who can turn the tide with his discipline and hard work. He had learned his lesson from that single moment of overconfidence and went on to dominate the lightweight division with a humble demeanor. Of course, we’re not talking about the time he punched Dillon Danis during the UFC 229 brawl. 

But what happened to Martins after UFC 192? The Brazilian mixed martial artist seemed to have lost himself in the MMA realm. Let’s take a look at his MMA record. 

Adriano Martins’ forgettable MMA record 

Even though Martins defeated Makhachev, he wasn’t able to maintain his victory stance. Well, he was already 32 years old when he fought the Dagestani star. And his record by UFC 192 was 27-7. However, his very next fight against Leonardo Santos at UFC 204 ended in a loss by split decision. And that was the beginning of his downfall. After losing once again at UFC 215, the Brazilian decided to call it quits and joined Future FC. But that got him yet another loss. 

The 42-year-old Brazilian went on a 5-fight losing streak before deciding to take a break in 2021. It seems like the break actually worked in his favor. Martins fought once again in 2024 against Donovan Desmae, at Kongs FC 2. It was his first win after 9 years, and that came via a split decision. 

While we may not deem it worthwhile to remember Martins’ professional MMA record, you might like to know that he was Arman Tsarukyan and Renato Moicano’s teammate. Well, Martins also trained under the roof of the American Top Team. And he does have a couple of pictures with ‘Ahalkalakets’ on social media. And since they had already brought Makhachev down once, they might do it again, but this time, it might be through Moicano. No doubt, the main event at UFC 311 is going to be interesting. 

Do you think Moicano can somehow conjure a win over Makhachev at UFC 311? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.