Makhachev signals career nearing end as welterweight title wait draws backlash

Islam Makhachev has suggested he is approaching the end of his fighting career, posting a pointed message to social media on Friday that frames his next UFC welterweight title defence as one of his final bouts.

The 35-year-old champion has faced significant criticism in recent weeks after it emerged he would not defend his belt until after Ramadan next year. Makhachev had previously called for a January title fight against Carlos Prates following his successful defence against Ian Machado Garry in August, but those plans collapsed. The UFC subsequently booked Prates against Michael Morales for an interim welterweight title at UFC 336 on 30 January in Toronto — a decision that drew public frustration from UFC CEO Dana White and fans alike.

In his social media post, Makhachev addressed the criticism head-on while also raising the stakes for whoever emerges from the interim title fight. “My next fight is one of the last in my career,” he wrote. “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.”

Makhachev is widely regarded as the top pound-for-pound fighter in MMA and has already secured a place among the sport’s all-time greats. He is one of only four fighters in UFC history to win and defend titles across multiple weight classes. A successful defence of his welterweight belt against the Prates-Morales winner would make him the first male fighter — and only the second overall — to record multiple title defences in two separate weight classes.

Whether Friday’s post represents a genuine retirement signal or a calculated response to public pressure remains unclear, but the timing — arriving at the height of the controversy over his delayed return — ensures it will do little to quiet the debate around one of the sport’s most dominant champions.