At 6-5, 285 pounds and with an Olympic wrestling gold medal (or two) currently his top priority, Bilyal Makhov believes he could be a future UFC heavyweight champion. His trainer all but guarantees it.

“To those who have never heard of me, I want to assure you: You will hear about me,” Makhov told MMAjunkie through an interpreter.

The 27-year-old “Bill” Makhov is a three-time freestyle wrestling world champion who has spent a lifetime perfecting his craft.

“There are two coaches who can be greatly credited with getting me into wrestling: Magomed Guseinov, who is now the coach of the Russian National Team in freestyle wrestling, as well as Khankala Gadzhimagomedov,” Makhov told MMAjunkie. “I was invited to train in Dagestan at a young age, and so because of wrestling, I had to leave Nalchik, capital of Kabardino-Balkaria, and for a long time I lived in a boarding school in Dagestan. This is where I began to really build my strong foundation in wrestling.”

Makhov was a bit of a prodigy, and he points to his success even in his teenage years as proof of his abilities, as well as his dedication to the sport.

“Probably of all my victories, I would point out my first success in the Adult World Championship as one of my proudest moments,” Makhov said. “Then, in 2007, at the age of 19, I won the Russian championship and thus was selected for the World Cup. After the victory in Baku and winning the Olympic license, I realized for the first time that all of the sweat and blood that I left on the mat was really worth it. On the mat, I am awarded for that daily work.

“Winning at the World Cup, I realized that I could then perform at the Olympics. For us wrestlers, the Olympics are the pinnacle of career achievement; the most desirable title for any wrestler is to be called Olympic champion.”

Makhov was robbed of that chance at the 2008 Summer Olympics when an unexpected (and perhaps nefarious) bout with mercury poisoning forced him to withdraw from the competition.

“Unfortunately, yes, the poisoning did take place, but I do not like to dwell on that,” Makhov said. “I can only say that I had a very difficult period in front of me, and I was left with two options: either to give up on my athletic career, or to dismiss the incident as best I could and continue to move toward my goal.

“If you constantly think about the past, it will prevent you from moving forward. Therefore, I chose to forget about that period and start over with a clean slate – and here I am.”

A world record roll?

Makhov went on to collect a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. Afterward, he began to toy with the idea of transitioning to MMA. A current Dagestani resident, Makhov saw the rise of fighters in the area and was intrigued. He’s also worked with pro fighters such as former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, which helped fuel his own interest in the sport.

“With Arlovski, we trained a lot in Khasavyurt (Dagestan),” Makhov said. “I am pleased that I was able to help him. We had a great time. We had so much to teach each other.

“Andrei is a great sportsman. Once we fought on the mat for four hours, skipping lunch and dinner. We came to the gym in the afternoon and left when it was dark outside. It was a long time. If we had a camera or some other equipment, we probably could have been entered in the Guinness Book of World Records as the athletes with the longest nonstop wrestling. During these four hours, he never asked for a break, and as a wrestler, it would be a shame for me to say that I’m tired. And so we wrestled until complete exhaustion.

“Training with Arlovski really helped me in my wrestling career. Many positive things came out of it, but the main thing for me was the ability to not lose concentration, stay focused for the duration, and not make mistakes, even after being exhausted. Of course, we all know that like the body, the brain gets tired too under heavy loads and in some cases just gives out. After these marathon training bouts with Andrei, I became more attentive – mentally tougher.”

Makhov is all but certain now he’ll eventually make his way to MMA.

“I’ve played around with the idea before but never thought about it too seriously until now,” Makhov said. “I am planning on testing myself in MMA in the near future.

“I’m the type of guy who is constantly looking to challenge himself, to push the limits and see how far I can take it. For example, after a long and successful career in freestyle wrestling, I decided to try my hand in the Greco-Roman style. I always enjoy challenges, and MMA would be the next logical step.”

First, however, Makhov plans to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and his full focus is on taking home the gold. Oh, and he may very well compete in both freestyle and Greco-Roman.

Once Makhov does make the transition to MMA, his trainer in the sport, Murat Keshtov of K Dojo Warrior Tribe, believes he’ll make an immediate impact.

“Give me six months to work with him, and we will take the UFC heavyweight belt to Russia,” Keshtov said.

Makhov stops just short of making that type of bold prediction but does have complete faith in Keshtov’s instincts.

“In my career, I have always had three components: hard work, time and attention,” Makhov said. “I think that if I can drive these three points in the direction of MMA, then anything is possible. I can achieve success at the highest level of the sport, yes.

“Murat Keshtov at K Dojo has been training and managing fighters at the highest level for a long time, and it was he who prompted the first negotiations with me for a possible transition to MMA. He said that based on his experience, he believes my wrestling skills, athletic talents and physical gifts will allow me to make the transition much faster than most other crossover athletes. Especially with my work ethic, he is confident that I can master the necessary striking techniques, etc., within a short period of time.

“In addition, he noted my relatively ‘easy’ transition from freestyle wrestling to Greco-Roman wrestling. Therefore I should also easily adapt to the ‘new style’ that is MMA. Murat insisted that it would not be too difficult for me to transition to MMA. Wrestling experts understand. Freestyle is very different from Greco-Roman, and the move from one style to another is not at all easy.”

You will be talking about me

Makhov said he hopes the UFC will be receptive to his wishes, and earning a gold medal (or two) certainly wouldn’t hurt his chances. So for now, he focuses on the task at hand, but he knows what the future holds, as well.

“When I go into MMA, my main goal is to turn all the minuses into pluses,” Makhov said. “In any new endeavor, weaknesses will surface quickly, and they are what I will pay maximum attention to. I will work extremely hard to eliminate any weaknesses I would have in MMA.

The key to success in any sport is hard work. The one who works hard in training is the one who eventually emerges victorious.”

Could Makhov truly be good enough to beat current UFC heavyweight champ Cain Velasquez, as soon as next year? It’s an ambitious plan, but looking at his track record, it doesn’t necessarily seem an impossible task.

Makhov won’t make any guarantees but said if you want to be an MMA fan in the know, go ahead and remember his name right now.

“First of all, I want to say that it is great to be engaged in any kind of sport – so many positive things come out of training and living an athletic lifestyle,” Makhov said. “And of course, MMA is especially good since it includes such a terrific range of so many athletic skills as well as mental aspects.

“Lastly, I want to say, if you have not heard anything about Bilyal Makhov, you will. And when you hear about Bilyal Makhov, you will never forget him and you will be talking about him for a long time.”

To watch Makhov’s final match at the 2015 Greco-Roman Russian national championship, check out this video:

http://youtu.be/TK6j1uAAK8M

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.