Michael Morales Reveals What’s Next, Explains Why He Turned Down Islam Makhachev Fight in January
Michael Morales has a new update on his next possible UFC bout. Morales last fought Sean Brady at UFC 322 and won by Round 1 TKO. The 26-year-old undefeated fighter is currently the number four-ranked welterweight on the UFC roster. Morales has won all of the last three bouts via knockout.
After finishing Brady at UFC 322, the Ecuadorian fighter called out newly minted 170-pound champion Islam Makhachev.
During an interview with Ushatayka, Makhachev recently stated that the UFC had reached out to him for a fight in January, and, according to rumors, his opponent was going to be Morales. However, the Dagestani wrestling maestro declined the bout, as he did not have enough time for another training camp, having just fought in November. The P4P king said:
“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…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.”
Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments below:
Michael Morales is open to fighting Jack Della Maddalena, and throws light on the rumored Islam Makhachev fight
In a recent interview with Carlos Contreras Legaspi, Michael Morales confirmed that he and Islam Makhachev declined the January fight. While Makhachev’s reason to decline the bout is mentioned above in this piece, Morales declined because he wanted time to recover, rest, and go on vacation.
The UFC has, however, reached out to Morales for a fight in March or April against former champion Jack Della Maddalena. Makhachev is expected to enter the cage for his first defense of the welterweight title after Ramadan 2026, and Morales is also open to fighting the champion. He said:
“UFC told me about a possible fight against Jack for March or April. I think they also proposed a fight with Makhachev for January, and he didn’t want to accept either. If I can get a fight against Jack, one more fight to gain experience, and if it’s with Makhachev, I’ll accept it too.”
Check out Michael Morales’ comments below:
