Reigning UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev has signaled that his storied mixed martial arts career is nearing its conclusion, stating that his upcoming return to the Octagon will rank among his final professional bouts.
The Russian-born Dagestani fighter made the announcement on social media late Friday, noting simply, “My next fight is one of the last in my career.”
Makhachev, widely considered the premier pound-for-pound fighter in the organization, holds a professional record of 29 wins and one loss. He cemented his place in the sport’s history books in August at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he secured a unanimous decision victory over Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry in the main event. That defense brought Makhachev’s consecutive win streak to 17 fights, breaking the historic 16-fight record set by UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva between 2006 and 2013.
Looking ahead to his next matchup, Makhachev has set his sights on facing the victor of the upcoming interim welterweight title clash between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales. That pivotal bout is slated as the co-main event of UFC 336 on January 30, 2027, in Toronto, Canada. Speaking to the outlet pound4padel, the former champion described the upcoming matchup as the decider for “the true, worthy contender.”
“They say Prates is too dangerous for me and Morales is too good for me,” Makhachev said. “So I want to face the best of them and prove to the world once again who is the best in the world.”
UFC CEO Dana White addressed the champion’s scheduling at a recent media conference, revealing that Makhachev was initially targeted to defend his belt against Prates in January. However, the 35-year-old fighter opted to wait in order to observe the Muslim holy month of Ramadan throughout February and early March 2027, eyeing a return during the second quarter of the year.
“On average, Islam fights like once a year,” White remarked. “He was slated for January, and then said, ‘I don’t want to fight until after Ramadan.’ You can’t hold up divisions like this. You gotta keep moving. This fight makes sense.”
