Islam Makhachev, the UFC's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, announced his next welterweight title defense will be "one of the last" in his career. The 35-year-old confirmed he will face the winner of the interim title bout between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales on Jan. 30 in Toronto. Makhachev stated he wants to face the best of the two contenders to prove he remains the best in the world.
He explained that UFC CEO Dana White had initially scheduled him to defend against Prates, but he chose to wait for the interim winner to establish a true No. 1 contender. Makhachev will observe Ramadan in February and early March, returning in Q2 2027. The Russian fighter, protege of Khabib Nurmagomedov, holds the UFC record for longest consecutive victory streak at 17 fights.
He won the welterweight belt by defeating Jack Della Maddalena in November 2025 and previously held the lightweight title.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing