Bilyal Valerievich Makhov (Russian: Билял Валерьевич Махов, Kabardian: Махуэ Билал Валерий и къуэ; born 20 September 1987 in Nalchik) is a Circassian-Kabardian-born Russian mixed martial artist, freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestler. He is signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, currently competing in the Heavyweight division. He was the Russian champion in 2007 and 2010, European champion in 2010 and World champion in 2007, 2009 and 2010 in Men's Freestyle 120 kg wrestling and bronze medalist in 130 kg Greco-Roman Wrestling at the World Championships in 2014 and 2015. In 2015, he won the Russian National Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships
Personal information | |
---|---|
Citizenship | Russian |
Born | Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia | September 20, 1987
Height | 196 cm (6 ft 5 in) |
Weight | 125–130 kg (276–287 lb) |
Sport | |
Country | Kabardino-Balkaria, Russia |
Sport | Wrestling |
Event(s) | Freestyle and Greco-Roman |
Club | CSKA Wrestling club, Khasavyurt WC |
Coached by | Gadzhi Gadzhiev, Magomed Guseinov, Khankala Gadzhimagomedov |
Medal record Representing Russia Men's Freestyle wrestling Summer Olympics 2012 London 120 kg World Championships 2007 Baku 120 kg 2009 Herning 120 kg 2010 Moscow 120 kg 2011 Istanbul 120 kg 2015 Las Vegas 125 kg European Championships 2010 Baku 120 kg Men's Greco-Roman wrestling World Championships 2014 Tashkent 130 kg 2015 Las Vegas 130 kg |
He originally won the bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the men's 120 kg category but was upgraded to joint Olympic champion with Komeil Ghasemi of Iran in 2020, when retesting of samples revealed both finalists had used illegal substances. In November 2020 the IOC confirmed after Makhov had a positive drug test that he would be rewarded a silver medal.[1] [2]
On July 5, 2015 at the Ali Aliyev Memorial he took revenge on Olympic rival Davit Modzmanashvili by technical superiority score and won this tournament.[3]
Mixed martial arts career
Ultimate Fighting Championship
On April 25, 2015, it was announced that Makhov had signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship to compete in the heavyweight division. Makhov decided to continue to wrestle in the hope to medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[4] After the 2016 Summer Olympics, Makhov did not fight in the UFC due to long term health issues caused by a mercury poisoning he had suffered in 2008.[5]
Championships and accomplishments
International Titles
- Freestyle:
- 2007 World Champion – 120 kg (Baku, Azerbaijan)
- 2008 Golden Grand-Prix Ivan Yarygin 3rd – 120 kg (Krasnoyarsk, Russia)
- 2009 World Champion – 120 kg (Herning, Denmark)
- 2010 European Champion – 120 kg (Baku, Azerbaijan)
- 2010 World Champion – 120 kg (Moscow, Russia)
- 2011 World Championships runner-up – 120 kg (Istanbul, Turkey)
- 2012 Olympic Silver Medalist – 120 kg (London, England)
- 2015 Ali Aliyev Memorial winner – 125 kg (Kaspiysk, Dagestan)
- 2015 World Championships Bronze Medalist – 125 kg (Las Vegas, United States)
- Greco-Roman:
- 2014 World Championships Bronze Medalist – 130 kg (Tashkent, Uzbekistan)
- 2015 World Championships Bronze Medalist – 130 kg (Las Vegas, United States)
International accomplishments
The first wrestler in 42 years to win a medal at the world championships in both freestyle and Greco-Roman (the last person to accomplish this was Jan Karlsson in 1973).
National Titles
- Freestyle:
- 2006 Russian National Runner-up – 120 kg (Nizhnevartovsk, Yugra)
- 2007 Russian National Champion – 120 kg (Moscow)
- 2008 Russian National Bronze Medalist – 120 kg (Saint Petersburg, Leningrad)
- 2009 Russian National Champion – 120 kg (Kazan, Tatarstan)
- 2010 Russian National Champion – 120 kg (Volgograd)
- 2012 Russian National Champion – 120 kg (Saint Petersburg, Leningrad)
- Greco-Roman:
- 2015 Russian National Champion – 130 kg (Saint Petersburg, Leningrad)
- 2016 Russian Nationals bronze medalist – 130 kg (Grozny, Chechnya)
References
- ^ "Iran's Ghasemi new gold medalist of 2012 Olympics". Tehran Times. 11 November 2020.
- ^ "BILYAL MAKHOV". Olympics.
- ^ "Bilyal Makhov winner Ali Aliyev Memorial". championat.com. 5 July 2015.
- ^ "Olympic medalist Bilyal Makhov signs with UFC, still eyes 2016 Summer Games". MMAJunkie.com. 25 April 2015. Retrieved 25 April 2015.
- ^ "Bilyal Makhov refused to move to UFC due to health issues". hardcord.com. 18 May 2020. Retrieved 25 November 2020.