The UFC welterweight division will see champion Islam Makhachev and challenger Ian Machado Garry face off on Saturday night at UFC 330.
Garry presents one of the more complex puzzles for Makhachev; his wrestling capabilities mixed with distance striking make him one of the more well-rounded fighters in both the division and the UFC as a whole.
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And with a 5-inch height advantage and a 4-inch reach advantage, Garry could prove to be a more difficult opponent than ex-Champion Jack Della Maddalena, whom Makhachev made easy work of in a dominant five-round performance at UFC 322 at Madison Square Gardens back in November.
Yet interestingly, according to podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan, Makhachev may potentially retire after the fight with Garry if he wins and defends the 170 lb title.
“Islam may retire, he may retire. He’s done a lot, he’s competed in two different weight classes and won world championships in two different weight classes. If he beats Ian, if he submits Ian and says ‘I’ve had enough, I’m going to do what Khabib did and going to coach now.” Rogan said on Tuesday’s episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, to guest and former UFC Bantamweight Champion and current featherweight contender Aljamain Sterling.
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If Makhachev does beat Garry and subsequently retire, Rogan suggested that he Carlos Prates and Michael Morales â the division’s two biggest rising stars â could face off for the undisputed title.
Will Islam Makhachev Retire With a Win at UFC 330?
Prior to Rogan’s comments, Makhachev actually addressed the otherwise swirling retirement rumors, in speaking MMA Junkie back on Aug. 4.
“Somebody put the fake news I’m gonna retire after this fight,” Makhachev said in the interview with the publication. “No, it’s not true. I want to keep going, you know? The feeling when you’re like staying in shape, becoming best fighter, is amazing thing. You’re never gonna find something like this outside the sport. I want to keep fighting and we will beat all records and stay here more years.”
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Makhachev’s comments are certainly a departure from Rogan’s speculation, but words; particularly in the lead up to fights; are often not worth the paper they’re written on.
From a neutral standpoint, an Islam Makhachev retirement would not sound totally unreasonable at this stage with a win on Saturday. He will have had 17 straight wins, and a total of 18 in the UFC. He will have defended the lightweight championship four times and the welterweight belt once, and he turns 35 in October.
But if he is intent on remaining in the UFC for many more years to beat all the records, that is certainly good news for fans. Between Morales, Prates and Shavkat Rakhmonov, who handed Garry his first and only ever professional MMA defeat back in December 2024, there are plenty of challenges for Makhachev moving forward.
And if MMA fans really get their way, they could be in for a mega-showdown between the current 170 lb champion and the formerly undefeated ex lightweight and featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who is coming off a defeat by Justin Gaethje back in June at UFC Freedom 250.
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