Islam Makhachev is at the end of the road.
Makhachev, the welterweight champion and MMA coin-pound king, announced on social media Friday that his upcoming title defense will be “one of the last” fights of his Hall of Fame-worthy career. Former lightweight champion Makhachev is expected to next face the winner of the UFC 336 title clash between top contenders Carlos Prates and undefeated Michael Morales, who is down 30, on March 11 in Toronto.
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Makhachev’s message is complete:
My next battle is one of the last in my life.
They say Prates is too dangerous for me and Morales is too good for me.
So I want to meet the best of them and prove to the world again who is the best in the world.
Makhachev (29-1) was initially expected to defend his belt against Prates at UFC 336 to kick off the promotion’s 2027 event. However, those plans were eventually scrapped when Makhachev couldn’t make the time to work. Makhachev is now expected to return in mid-2027, much to the chagrin of UFC CEO Dana White.
“On average, Islam fights like once a year, and he was scheduled for January and then he said: I don’t want to fight until after Ramadan,” White told reporters after UFC 333. “You can’t hold divisions like this. You have to move, and this [interim] It makes sense to fight. “
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Makhachev, 35, is one of the most dominant fighters in UFC history. A protégé of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, Makhachev is currently riding the longest streak in the promotion’s history (17), and his four consecutive defenses of the UFC lightweight title from 2023-2025 is also an all-time UFC record.
Makhachev will launch his lightweight belt in 2025 to move up 170 pounds and take the gold medal position. He upset Jack Della Maddalena this past November, then marked his first title defense in a tough fight against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in August.