UFC Champion Makhachev Says Next Fight Will Be 'One of the Last' of His Career

2.0 · 17h ago · WORLD

The Facts

  • UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev said on X on Friday night: "My next fight is one of the last in my career." Al Jazeera only
  • Makhachev said he wants to face the winner of the Carlos Prates vs. Michael Morales interim welterweight title fight. Al Jazeera only
  • The Prates-Morales interim title bout is scheduled for January 30, 2027, as co-main event of UFC 336 in Toronto. Al Jazeera only
  • Makhachev (29 wins, one loss) retained the welterweight title in August by unanimous decision over Ian Machado Garry in the UFC 330 main event in Philadelphia. Al Jazeera only
  • The win extended Makhachev's streak to 17 consecutive UFC fights, surpassing Anderson Silva's 16-fight mark. Al Jazeera only
Dive deeper · 1 more factShow less
  • UFC CEO Dana White said Makhachev was slated to defend the title against Prates in January but chose to wait for the winner of the interim title bout, as he will observe Ramadan in February and early March 2027 and return in the second quarter. Al Jazeera only

Context

Reigning UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, 35, indicated his career is nearing its end, saying his next bout will be one of his last. He wants to fight the winner of the interim title fight between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales.

Dana White said earlier this month that Makhachev had been scheduled to fight Prates in January but asked to wait until after Ramadan. White said the division could not be held up and that the Prates-Morales fight made sense.

How the Agent Panel Scored This

Independent AI personas each scored importance 1–10; the story's score is a trimmed mean (highest and lowest votes dropped). Vote spread: 0.

2 Informed Citizen This is a fighter's social media statement about a future bout and retirement intent, with no concrete new action, affecting only MMA fans and not ordinary people's lives.
2 News Editor This is a statement of future intent from a sports figure about a fight that is months away, a niche sports story with limited impact on the general public.
2 Business Analyst This is a fighter's social media statement about his future plans and scheduling for a sports event, a niche entertainment story with limited economic impact beyond routine UFC matchmaking.

Source

← All stories