Islam Makhachev Targeting Post-Ramadan Return After Declining January Fight
As per Islam Makhachev, the UFC asked him if he was willing to make the first defense of his welterweight title in January 2026, and Makhachev declined the offer.
Earlier this year, after the fourth defense of his 155-pound championship at UFC 311, Makhachev vacated the throne and moved up to welterweight in pursuit of two-division glory.
At UFC 322, the Dagestani phenom locked horns with then-champion Jack Della Maddalena and dethroned the Australian by dominating him on the mat and cruising to a unanimous decision victory. Notably, Makhachev had more than 19 minutes of ground control time against ‘JDM.’
After Islam Makhachev became a two-division champion and also regained his P4P throne, several welterweight contenders showed interest in fighting him. The list includes Ian Machado Garry, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Carlos Prates, Michael Morales, and Kamaru Usman, among others.
Makhachev, on the other hand, showed interest in fighting former champion Usman and believes ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is his hardest challenge.
Islam Makhachev wants to fight after Ramadan 2026
In a recent interview with Ushatayka, when Islam Makhachev was asked about his next bout, he revealed that he had been offered a fight in January, which he declined. Makhachev stated that he aims to return after Ramadan 2026 and also showed interest in the UFC White House Card.
“I don’t know yet, but I was offered a fight in January. I think January is an impossible date because I had already been in camp for 3 months, and they called me in December. They were like, ‘You’ll be fighting in January.’ I said it was already too late. I needed to leave for camp and be ready for January. I told them I definitely won’t fight in January. I think it will be after Ramadan for sure. April, May, June. If they want to wait and put it at the White House, then I will wait. If not, then I can fight earlier.”
Makhachev was also asked to name the opponent he was supposed to face in January, and if it was Kamaru Usman, as per rumors. The 34-year-old added:
“They didn’t tell me the name, but honestly, I think it was [Michael] Morales. That’s my opinion. They didn’t say the name; they just asked whether I would fight in January or not. I don’t think [my opponent was Kamaru Usman].”
Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments below:
