Islam Makhachev says next fight is one of his last
The welterweight champion wants the Carlos Prates vs. Michael Morales winner and will return only after Ramadan
UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev said Friday, Oct. 30, on X that his next fight will be one of the last of his career. The 35-year-old is expected to defend his title against the winner of Carlos Prates vs. Michael Morales, who meet for the interim belt at UFC 336 on Jan. 30 in Toronto.
What Makhachev wrote on X
“My next fight is one of the last in my career,” the champion wrote. In the same post, he pushed back at critics of his timeline and named both contenders.
“They say Prates is too dangerous for me and Morales is too good for me. So I want to face the best of them and prove to the world once again who is the best in world,” he added.
Makhachev did not say how many fights he has left or set a date for his exit.
Makhachev’s return after Ramadan
The Russian is not expected to fight until after Ramadan, which runs from Feb. 8 to March 8 in 2027. According to ESPN, the plan is a return in the second quarter of 2027 against whoever leaves Toronto with the interim belt.
That request is what led the UFC to create the interim title. The promotion wanted Makhachev vs. Prates in January, but the champion was left off UFC 336, as VF Comunica reported. Dana White then booked the Brazilian against the Ecuadorian.
Speaking to Pound4Padel, Makhachev later explained why he turned down Carlos Prates: the Brazilian had lost to Ian Machado Garry, a fighter Makhachev already beat. Prates answered on X and vowed to finish the champion’s legacy.
What Makhachev said before UFC 330
Friday’s message is a shift from his tone in August. Before facing Garry at UFC 330, the champion told MMA Junkie that retirement talk was a rumor. “Somebody put the fake news I’m gonna retire after this fight,” he said at the time.
In the same interview, he talked about longevity. “I want to keep fighting and we will beat all records and stay here more years,” he said.
His path puts the statement in perspective. Makhachev won the lightweight title in October 2022 by submitting Charles Oliveira with an arm-triangle choke at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. He then moved up to welterweight, beat Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November 2025 and made his first defense against Garry by unanimous decision.
He is now 29-1 in MMA and has won 17 straight in the UFC, the longest streak in promotion history. Khabib Nurmagomedov, his friend and coach, also walked away at the top: he retired in 2020 as the undefeated lightweight champion.
The record on the line against Prates or Morales
According to MMA Fighting, Makhachev is one of four fighters to win and defend titles in two UFC weight classes. If he beats the next contender, he would become the first man with multiple title defenses in two divisions.
Both possible opponents are on a roll. Prates, from Brazil’s Fighting Nerds, has three straight stoppage wins over Geoff Neal, Leon Edwards and Jack Della Maddalena. The interim title fight was set by the UFC last week, as covered in Carlos Prates vs. Morales at UFC 336.
Morales is unbeaten as a pro and has not fought since November 2025, when he stopped Sean Brady in the first round at UFC 322 in New York.
Who is the bigger threat to Makhachev as he nears the end of his career: Carlos Prates or Michael Morales? Tell us in the comments.
Read more:
- Carlos Prates to fight Michael Morales for UFC interim title
- Islam Makhachev explains why he turned down Carlos Prates
- Carlos Prates vows to finish Islam Makhachev’s legacy
