Dana White Announces Islam Makhachev’s Next Title Defense is Planned for August
Dana White has poured cold water on talk of Islam Makhachev returning in July, insisting the UFC welterweight champion is instead targeted for an August date despite recent claims from longtime manager Ali Abdelaziz.
What Abdelaziz said
In an interview with TMZ Sports earlier this week, Abdelaziz stated that Makhachev already has his next bout lined up at welterweight and framed it as a done deal. He explained that Makhachev was offered a different fight at 170 pounds to headline a summer event and that the champion agreed to compete in July. Abdelaziz added that the opponent would be the division’s number one contender, saying the UFC would make the announcement soon and stressing that his fighter had accepted the matchup despite dealing with a hand issue.
Abdelaziz also pushed back on talk that Makhachev had avoided a crossover clash with Ilia Topuria on the upcoming White House card. He told TMZ that a Topuria fight was floated but never close to being finalized, and claimed Makhachev would have taken that matchup even in less-than-ideal physical condition.
Dana White’s August timeline
Those comments set the stage for UFC president Dana White to be respond about Makhachev’s schedule and the suggestion of a July return. In responding, White flatly denied the July timeline and said the champion is instead slated for August, directly contradicting the manager’s version of events. The brief remark leaves open which card the promotion is considering, but shifts the expectation away from International Fight Week in early July, which Abdelaziz had linked to Makhachev’s next appearance.
What this means for Islam Makhachev’s next fight
Makhachev is preparing for his first defense of the UFC welterweight title after moving up from lightweight and claiming gold at 170 pounds. Abdelaziz has framed the next challenger as the division’s top-ranked contender, though no name has been attached publicly and the UFC has yet to formalize a bout agreement. The manager has also indicated that initial concern over Makhachev’s injury status has eased, making a summer defense realistic even if the exact month is now disputed. Rising names like Ian Machado Garry and Michael Morales keep appearing as potential opponents.
Until the promotion unveils an official main event, the situation sits in a familiar place for high-profile champions: a public gap between a manager eager to signal momentum and a promoter keen to control the message. For now, fans tracking Makhachev’s next move are left weighing Abdelaziz’s confidence in a July headliner against White’s clear message that the champion’s return is being lined up for August.
