It’s tough to be Islam Makhachev. Even when you’re the pound-for-pound number one fighter in the world, people are still expecting more from you. For Islam, he doesn’t just have to live up to his own impressive past performances, but the shadow of coach and mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov. Any fight where he leaves with a cut on his face is going to elicit criticism, and Ian Machado Garry made him bleed at UFC 330.
Makhachev has also taken heat for his pace of schedule. Four fights in three years ain’t great, and there was a big question mark following Saturday’s event in Philadelphia regarding how long it’d take for us to see the Dagestani fighter defend his welterweight title again. Well, if Islam has his way, it’ll be within the next six months.
“Bro, we have to fight before Ramadan, 100%,” Makhachev said at the UFC 330 post-fight press conference. “January or before end of the year, I have to fight. Of course. Because I am not like twenty something. I am 34 years old. I have to fight as soon as possible because I’m not cutting much weight. I don’t have any big injuries. I just have to maybe double-check my nose. That’s it.”
Ramadan starts in February 2027, and Islam made it clear he was happy to consider another 2026 fight if he gets a clean bill of health following a tough battle with Ian Machado Garry. That’s good, because contenders at 170 pounds are starting to pile up. The UFC 330 broadcast cut to Carlos Prates and Michael Morales in the crowd more than once during the main event, hyping up battles for Makhachev with the two dangerous strikers.
“I don’t know who I want to chose,” Makhachev said of the two. “No matter who [between] them. Maybe let them fight. Why they not fight on this card to see who is the number one contender?”
“It’s okay. I’m happy we have some real contenders in this division. These guys, Morales, Prates, Shavkat [Rakhmonov], they make me train every day more hard because I can see these are the real fighters that can give me good fights.”
During the Paramount+ post-fight show, Makhachev tipped his hand on who he’d rather face.
Who's next for Islam Makhachev?
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“Shavkat is not fighting, Prates still fighting, still active,” he said. “Maybe Prates because Morales also is good but I don’t remember last time he fight. If you ask who is more deserving, I think Carlos Prates.”
A fight against Prates before the end of 2027 would certainly help Makhachev gain some momentum, something he apparently needs if he wants to cinch the title of GOAT in the minds of UFC CEO Dana White and others. When asked if Makhachev was approaching that title after Saturday night, White wouldn’t commit.
“If he didn’t have that one loss on his record, it would almost be a no-brainer,” White said. “And this kid wants to fight all the time, stays active, and after tonight, what he did tonight, talks about three or four more fights. I think what you do is you just let this guy’s career play out.”