‘He won’t fight until next year’ – Caught with brace around injured arm at Euro 2024, Islam Makhachev fans sound alarm over UFC champ’s return

Islam Makhachev Makhachev is perhaps one of the strongest fighters in the field of mixed martial arts. But even the strongest can face injury problems during training. Makhachev, being a football fan just like his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedovwas spotted at what appeared to be the UEFA European Football Championship 2024. He was sitting right next to Harry Styles and James Corden. But that’s not what fight fans saw. I bet even you noticed the brace on the lightweight champion’s right hand.

In a video that went viral in May 2024, Makhachev is seen kicking a soccer ball while spinning it in the air to score a goal. The champion even left Nurmagomedov stunned with his 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 serious doubts on his next fight.

The photo of Makhachev playing with his phone at the UEFA stadium, his hand between the two devices, was recently shared on Instagram by ‘knockoutalerts’. The caption of the post read:“What does Islam do?” It goes without saying that the image showed the community of fighters arguing about the fight of the Dagestanis against Arman Tsarukyan to be in danger.

MMA is indeed a sport where injuries are inevitable. 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 braces, netizens couldn’t help but speculate. Let’s take a look at what the fighting community had to say about Makhachev’s injury.

Islam Makhachev’s injury casts doubt on his next fight

As soon as the Instagram post was shared, fans of the fight stormed the comments section with their thoughts. Some fans seemed certain that the champion would not be defending his title anytime soon. “Yeah he won’t fight until next year 😭 I’m sick.” read a comment. Another fan wrote“The brothers have a brace, he won’t fight for a good three months.”

Just after the defeat of Tsarukyan Charles Oliveira At UFC 300, he became the number one contender in the UFC lightweight division. This undoubtedly made him eligible to have a shot at the championship and face Makhachev. However, some fans seemed to believe that the fight might not happen. Seeing Makhachev’s hand in a brace seemingly confirmed their thoughts. One fan wrote:“Remember I reported that the Islam v. Arman trial was in play…interesting to see Islam’s wrist in a cast.”

Shortly after Tsarukyan wowed the MMA world with his phenomenal victory at UFC 300, he found himself in a sticky situation. He got into a verbal altercation with a guy in the audience, which quickly turned into a physical altercation. As a result, “Ahalkalakets” faced a 9-month suspension from the world of mixed martial arts. Needless to say, some fans were quick to point this out in the comments. One fan wrote:“Luckily Arman is suspended for 9 months.” Another fan commented“Shocking news considering Arman is suspended and Islam appears to have a sprained wrist lol.”

Still, some fans have supported the Dagestani fighter. Makhachev is currently on a 14-fight winning streak. His skills have never ceased to entertain fight fans. After snatching the belt from Oliveira, he defended it twice against Alexander VolkanovskiWith his superior grappling abilities, he successfully performed a D’arce choke and defeated Dustin Poirier in his last fight. Without a doubt, Makhachev is indeed one of the most consistent fighters in the MMA promotion. Highlighting this point, one fan wrote“So you want him to defend every other month, most of the hate he gets is unnecessary, he’s one of the most consistent and entertaining champions around.”

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