Islam Makhachev's Grappling Game: A Technical Breakdown

Islam Makhachev is the most complete grappler in modern MMA. Not the most submissions, not the most wrestling awards, but the most functionally complete at every level — takedowns, top control, submission offense, and submission defense all operating at title level. If you train grappling seriously, understanding how Makhachev operates is watching a masterclass in systematic efficiency.

The Dagestani System: What You're Actually Watching

Before we break down Makhachev's specific techniques, understand the lineage. Dagestani wrestlers don't train wrestling the way most American wrestlers train. It's not about scoring points quickly. It's about systematic pressure, positional advancement, and accumulated advantages.

Khabib Nurmagomedov made this style famous, but Makhachev represents the evolution. Where Khabib was a sledgehammer — relentless forward pressure that flattened everyone — Makhachev is more technical. He uses the same Dagestani wrestling framework but with more adjustability, better transitions, and submission awareness that Khabib developed later in his career.

The system prioritizes:

• Entry from strikes: Takedowns flow from your offensive striking combinations, not separate from them.
• Continuous advancement: Wrestling isn't one takedown. It's a series of position improvements — single-leg, double-leg, body lock, top control, next technique.
• Top pressure as offensive tool: Riding time isn't about stalling. It's about setting up submissions and wearing your opponent down.
• Grip dominance: Control grips and the body position handles itself.

Makhachev executes this system better than anyone fighting right now because he combines textbook Dagestani methodology with refined technical detail that wasn't as common in Khabib's era.

Chain Wrestling: The Single-Leg to Body Lock Sequence

Watch any Makhachev fight and you'll see the same basic chain: single-leg takedown attempts that flow directly into body lock wrestling. This isn't random. It's systematic progression.

The Entry

Makhachev throws a jab, steps his lead foot forward slightly, and immediately shoots a single-leg takedown off the jab. The timing is tight — the jab is still registering in his opponent's head as the shot arrives.

Why off the jab? Because your opponent's weight is moving forward to defend the jab. That forward momentum works against their takedown defense. Their base is unstable. The jab arm is committed to defense, so their posture is compromised.

He's not shooting from distance. He's closing the gap with strikes, creating instability, then shooting into that instability.

The Grip and Control

Once his leg is in, Makhachev ties his hands behind the opponent's hips or grabs an overhook on the arm. Notice he doesn't just blast through with raw strength. He controls the arm position first, which controls where the opponent's weight can go.

If the opponent turns to face him (sprawl), Makhachev isn't forcing the takedown. He's adjusting grip, often switching to an overhook or getting his hips under the opponent's center of gravity. The key is never forcing a failed single when the opponent defends well.

The Body Lock Conversion

If the single-leg doesn't immediately finish, Makhachev drives forward, gets his hip underneath the opponent's hips, and transitions to a body lock (bear hug). His arms wrap around the torso from the side or behind, and now he's controlling the entire upper body. The opponent can't sprawl anymore because Makhachev has already passed through that defense.

From the body lock, he can:

• Trip the legs (usually a heel trip or foot sweep) and finish the takedown
• Drive to the cage and adjust position
• Transition to top control if the takedown is already happening

The beauty of this sequence is the non-commitment. If the single-leg is defended, the body lock is already coming. If the opponent steps away from the body lock, Makhachev already has position to recycle. There's no wasted transition.

Specific Example: vs. Charles Oliveira (UFC 280)

Against Oliveira, Makhachev hit this sequence repeatedly. One standout moment: jab in the third round, step, single-leg shot. Oliveira sprawled hard, so Makhachev didn't fight through it. Instead, he transitioned immediately to a body lock, got his hips in, and executed a beautiful ankle pick that planted Oliveira on his back.

Watch the hip position. Makhachev's hips were underneath Oliveira's hips before he finished the takedown. That's the difference between a forced shot that gasses you out and a controlled progression that sets you up for the next move.

Level Changes: The Jab to Double-Leg Framework

Not every takedown is a single-leg. Makhachev uses level changes off his jab as well, though less frequently than the single-leg.

The sequence:

1. Jab thrown with forward weight
2. Lead foot steps forward, drops level slightly
3. Shot comes from lower hip position, not a tall standing position

The level change is subtle. He's not dramatically dropping his level like a traditional wrestling shot. He's using footwork and grip to lower his center, then the shot comes from a mechanically superior position.

Against defensive opponents who stuff his legs well, Makhachev will mix in these level changes to vary his entry. The single-leg is higher percentage, but changing looks prevents opponents from timing a consistent defense.

Top Control: Pressure Strategy and Submission Setup

Once Makhachev has top position, he operates with extreme efficiency. This is where people often say "he just smeshes," but it's more sophisticated than that.

The Ride Mechanism

Makhachev doesn't lay flat on his opponents. He rides in a controlled position where he can absorb their movements while maintaining pressure. His legs are positioned to:

• Prevent hip escape with feet in control (toes in or heels locked in)
• Stabilize his own position against arm grappling
• Stay mobile to switch positions or advance

His weight distribution is methodical. He's not crushing them with bodyweight. He's controlling specific points — hips, shoulders — and using grip to manage the rest.

The Default Position

From top control, Makhachev's default is a high-mounted position where he has one arm controlling the opponent's arm (underhook or overhook) and the other hand controlling the opposite side. His head is on one side of the opponent's head (not between the arms where they can triangulate).

This position controls:

• Arm position: One arm is controlled/pinned, the other can't freely work
• Shoulder mobility: Without good shoulder positioning, arm attacks are limited
• Hip movement: His weight distribution limits hip escape options

Transitioning Through Positions

Rather than stalling in one position, Makhachev advances systematically. From high mount, he'll:

• Move to side control to change the angle of attack
• Establish back control if the opponent turns away
• Switch mount position side-to-side if one side is getting defended

This constant subtle repositioning is exhausting for the opponent. They're never settled, always defending adjustments, always under pressure.

Submission Setups: Arm Triangle and D'Arce Chain

Makhachev's submissions aren't wild. They're setups that emerge from positional dominance.

The Arm Triangle Path

Watch Makhachev's arm triangles develop. They rarely come suddenly. Instead:

1. He's in top position, controlling one arm with an underhook
2. He advances to side control, keeping that arm pinned
3. He flows to a position where his arm can wrap the opponent's neck and arm simultaneously
4. The trapped arm + his body weight + the choke angle creates a finish he's been setting up for two minutes

The arm triangle works because the opponent's arm was never free to defend it. It's been controlled the entire top control phase. By the time he's executing the choke, the arm can't escape because it's been managed since the takedown.

This is different from dropping a sudden arm triangle. This is the arm triangle as the natural conclusion of positional dominance.

The D'Arce Choke

Similarly, Makhachev will hunt D'Arce chokes (guillotine variation) from top control by positioning his arm so that when the opponent either turtles or tries to create space, his arm is already in position to wrap the neck.

In the Oliveira fight, this came up repeatedly. Oliveira would try to create space or improve position, and Makhachev's arm was positioned to threaten the choke. This forced Oliveira to either accept the pressure or open himself up to other attacks.

The Rear Naked Choke Transition

The RNC comes more commonly when Makhachev takes the back, which he does with increasing frequency as fights progress. Once he has back control:

• His arms are already in position (hooks in, one arm across the neck)
• The opponent is exhausted from sustained top pressure
• Choke defense is minimal

He's not hunting the RNC recklessly. He's transitioning to the back because the front position is broken, then finishing the choke from a position where escape is nearly impossible.

Example: vs. Dustin Poirier (UFC 284)

In the third round, Makhachev was in top position with controlled arm management. Poirier tried to escape by rolling and turtling. As he did, Makhachev transitioned to back control and sunk a rear naked choke that Poirier had to tap. The choke was set up through 10+ minutes of positional dominance where Poirier's arms were managed and his defenses exhausted.

Dealing with Guard: Pressure and Advancement

Makhachev doesn't let opponents establish bottom control. His approach to guard is fundamental wrestling — he doesn't stay in guard long, he doesn't open his chest to submissions, and he advances position quickly.

Stack Pressure

When an opponent gets guard, Makhachev immediately stacks their hips and advances his weight. A stack pass eliminates the opponent's hip mobility, which eliminates escape options. He's not sitting in guard hoping to pass. He's advancing toward side control.

Open Guard Management

If the opponent has an active open guard (playing for leglock attacks, foot sweeps, etc.), Makhachev:

• Keeps his feet mobile
• Maintains distance from leg attacks with good hip positioning
• Advances toward pressing guard position or side control

He doesn't panic against guard attacks. He manages them with controlled footwork while continuing to advance his passing position.

The Pass

His passing is methodical. He'll pressure, advance one leg past, secure that leg's position, then advance the second leg. This is traditional wrestling-based passing — controlled, low-risk progression rather than explosive athletic passes.

Once he passes, side control becomes pressure platform for further advancement.

Comparison to Khabib: Evolution and Difference

Both Makhachev and Khabib operate from the same Dagestani wrestling framework, but there are meaningful differences.

Khabib's approach:

• Sledgehammer forward pressure as the default
• Less technical refinement in transitions (but it didn't matter because his pressure was so overwhelming)
• Fewer submission attempts, more positional dominance
• Wrestling dominance as the foundation, everything else secondary

Makhachev's approach:

• Technical precision in chain wrestling and transitions
• More submission awareness and setup execution
• Better at adjusting to opponent styles mid-fight
• Grappling as part of a more balanced complete game (his striking is significantly better than Khabib's at similar career points)

Makhachev can wrestle you into the ground like Khabib, but he can also submit you, adjust positions faster, and flow between techniques more smoothly. He learned from Khabib's system but refined it with additional technical detail.

Where Khabib was relentless, Makhachev is methodical. Where Khabib was pressure, Makhachev is systematic progression.

What Grapplers Can Learn

If you train grappling and you watch Makhachev seriously:

1. Chain techniques, don't reset: His single-leg to body lock isn't two separate moves. It's one continuous progression. When a technique doesn't work cleanly, your next move should already be flowing. Practice transitions, not isolated techniques.

2. Control position before forcing the finish: Makhachev doesn't explode through closed guard for the arm triangle. He controls the arm for two minutes, then the choke comes naturally. Positional dominance creates opportunities for submissions.

3. Systematic advancement: Each position is a step toward the next one. Know where you're going from side control before you even get there. Top control isn't the goal — back control or submission is.

4. Grip work matters more than strength: Most of Makhachev's control comes from intelligent grip positioning and arm management, not raw power. Train grips, train arm control, train positioning.

5. Leg position is underrated: His leg hooks, foot placement, and hip positioning control the fight as much as his hands do. Tighten up your leg position and bottom half control.

6. Condition for grappling: Sustained top pressure requires specific conditioning. You need shoulder, core, and hip endurance. It's not just cardio — it's positional awareness under fatigue.

The Bottom Line

Islam Makhachev's grappling works because it's built on fundamental wrestling principles executed with technical precision and constant refinement. There's no magic. It's systematic progression from entry to finish, controlled positioning, and smart advancement.

His approach is learnable. You won't be able to replicate the athletic gifts or the wrestling pedigree, but the framework is clear: chain your techniques, control the position, advance systematically, and let the submission come as the natural conclusion of dominance.

Watch film, understand the chain, drill the progressions, and train the position work. That's how Makhachev did it. That's how you improve your grappling too.