"I Want To Face The Best Of Them": Islam Makhachev Hints At Career Endgame Ahead Of Next Fight

Islam Makhachev Hints At Career Endgame Ahead Of Next Fight© Instagram

Islam Makhachev does not do much social media theater. So when the UFC welterweight champion posted on X that his next fight would be “one of the last in my career,” the MMA world paid attention. The full post was pointed: “They say Prates is too dangerous for me and Morales is too good for me. So I want to face the best of them and prove to the world once again who is the best in world.”

The framing was deliberate. Makhachev, 34, has been at the center of a prolonged back-and-forth over who gets the next title shot, and the post made clear he is watching the noise around both contenders and has no intention of backing away from either of them.

How the Prates and Morales Situation Got Here

Carlos Prates and Michael Morales are headed for an interim welterweight title fight, likely at UFC 336 in early 2027. Makhachev declined to fight Prates on the grounds that Prates recently lost to Ian Machado Garry, a fighter Makhachev already beat at UFC 330. His position: let the two of them settle the No. 1 contender question first. Prates publicly called Makhachev a coward over the decision and vowed to retire him after handling Morales. Dana White reportedly did not have a clear explanation for the withdrawal and expressed frustration that Makhachev has fought only once a year.

What Makhachev Has Said About His Career Timeline

The retirement signal in the tweet is not entirely new. After UFC 330, Makhachev said he still had “very hard and exciting fights” left but acknowledged his window was narrowing. He is the only fighter in UFC history with 17 consecutive wins, breaking Anderson Silva's previous mark of 16, and he has mentioned the all-time title fight record as a goal worth chasing. His mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov walked away from the sport without warning at 29. Makhachev is taking a different approach, broadcasting his endgame openly, and daring whoever survives Prates versus Morales to step up and end it.