Bilal Makhov

By FCF Staff

Bilyal Makhov certainly won’t be short on hype when he makes his UFC debut, as recently the Russian wrestler won bronze in both freestyle and Greco-Roman for the World Wrestling Championship’s super heavyweight division.

The UFC signed the 27 year-old wrestling champ to a contract earlier this year, despite the fact Makhov doesn’t have any MMA experience. The 6’5 tall wrestler will compete in the 2016, Rio de Janeiro, Olympics, before he’s expected to make his Octagon debut.

Recently Makhov spoke to UFC.com about his MMA aspirations, and while doing so, he stated:

“To conquer this new mountain called UFC will give me new emotions, new feelings, new challenges – kind of like a rebirth and start everything from zero,” Makhov said.

“This is what I want to get out of it. I want to get that feeling of rebirth and start all over again. Wrestling is one of the hardest sports. UFC is like that, but it also has other challenges that give you a new path again. Like a rebirth, start everything new and hoping to get new emotions from this rebirth. To conquer the mountain called UFC.”

During Makhov’s decorated wrestling career he has won world championships in freestyle wrestling three times, and last year, he also won the bronze medal for Greco-Roman.