Islam Makhachev is widely regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the UFC. The Dagestani’s elite grappling has helped him become the most decorated lightweight champion in UFC history, and he has now carried that dominance into the welterweight division.
Makhachev recently defended his 170-pound title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, controlling the Irishman for 12 minutes on his way to another dominant victory. With Carlos Prates and Michael Morales emerging as potential challengers, the champion already has plenty of competition waiting for him.
But apparently, UFC welterweights aren’t the only ones interested in testing Makhachev’s wrestling. Jordan Burroughs has now entered the conversation. The 38-year-old is widely regarded as one of the greatest American freestyle wrestlers ever.
Makhachev previously expressed confidence in his ability to beat Burroughs and even described the Olympic champion to Daniel Cormier as a “double-leg merchant.” Now, Burroughs has thrown a challenge right back. The Olympic gold medalist made his RAF debut over the weekend, scoring an 11-0 victory over UFC welterweight contender Sean Brady at RAF 12.
View this post on Instagram
The bout marked Burroughs’ first competitive match since 2024 and immediately generated plenty of buzz. Following the win, Burroughs appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show and revealed several potential opponents he would like to face in future RAF bouts. Makhachev was at the very top of that list, followed by Arman Tsarukyan and Colby Covington.
Burroughs said, “No. 1, I would like to wrestle Islam [Makhachev]. I think that’s the top of my list. A few years ago in an interview, he was like, ‘Man, ‘JB’s’ just got a double-leg, brother. Like, I’m from Russia. Russia is the premier wrestling program.’ Well, let’s see.”
The American then explained why Tsarukyan would also be an exciting opponent. He continued with, “No. 2 for me is Arman Tsarukyan, and I really want to wrestle Arman. I think he’s got a great name, a great brand. He’s a really good wrestler. He’s someone I have tremendous respect for and someone who’s really going to sell the event, so I’d love the opportunity to wrestle him.”
Covington was next on Burroughs’ list, with the six-time World Champion praising the former UFC title challenger’s credentials and personality. The Olympic champion added, “No. 3 is Colby [Covington] — I’d love to wrestle Colby Covington. I think, again, another guy with charisma, spunk, but also championship pedigree, right? He’s been the No. 1 contender for a number of years at the welterweight division in the UFC — someone I’d like to wrestle.”
View this post on Instagram
Burroughs also mentioned UFC stars Michael Chandler and Aaron Pico as honorable mentions. But there was one name he ultimately seemed most eager to share the mat with: Georges St-Pierre.
The former UFC welterweight champion has been retired for years, making the matchup difficult to put together. Still, Burroughs made it clear that he would jump at the opportunity.
He added, “Georges, if you’re out there, I would love to compete against you. I’d love to wrestle you. I honor you, I honor your legacy — and I don’t want to embarrass you, I don’t want to humiliate you. I just would love to share the stage with you. So he’s No. 1, he’s at the very top of my list, but he’s a guy that I’m not really sure that we can get.”
Burroughs even had a specific date in mind for his dream matchup with the UFC legend while making it clear that he would accommodate St-Pierre’s preferences.
He said, “That’s my dream matchup. ‘GSP,’ Georges, if you’re out there and you’re watching this show, make it happen. Las Vegas, Oct. 3, let’s do it — me and you, right away. You’ve got a month and a half; that gives you six weeks to really prepare your body, your mind. If not, if you don’t feel ready by then, you let me know. I’ll acquiesce to any request that you’d have for me. … Toronto, Montreal, any place. You can have Firas [Zahabi] in your corner, anything.”
Burroughs concluded with, “I would love to share the stage with Georges. He is in my GOAT [conversation], one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all-time.”
Jordan Burroughs says GSP is the dream matchup he wants most:
“Georges, if you’re out there, I would love to compete against you. I’d love to wrestle you.
I honor your legacy, and I don’t want to embarrass you. I don’t want to humiliate you. I just would love to share the stage… pic.twitter.com/wZAt90EmRU
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 24, 2026
It’s easy to see why Burroughs has no shortage of confidence. The American has practically won everything there is to win in freestyle wrestling, most notably an Olympic gold medal at the 2012 London Games in the 74 kg division.
He also captured six World Championship gold medals in 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2021 and 2022. His seven World and Olympic gold medals rank him among the most decorated wrestlers in U.S. history, while he also owns three World Championship bronze medals from 2014, 2018 and 2019.
Burroughs also put together a ridiculous 69-match winning streak to begin his senior international career, the longest such streak in U.S. history. Add five Pan American Games titles and five Pan American Championships titles to the resume, and his credentials speak for themselves.
Before taking over the international wrestling scene, Burroughs was also a two-time NCAA Division I National Champion at the University of Nebraska, winning titles in 2009 and 2011. He also claimed the 2011 Dan Hodge Trophy, awarded to the nation’s top college wrestler.
So, while an actual wrestling showdown between Burroughs and Makhachev, Tsarukyan or one of the UFC’s other elite grapplers is far from guaranteed, the idea alone is pretty fascinating. And considering Burroughs has already put Makhachev at the top of his list, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Dagestani’s “double-leg merchant” comment comes up again.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
