Islam Makhachev’s team had hinted that the lightweight champion could feature on the same card as Conor McGregor in July, but UFC president Dana White has now dismissed those rumours.
The event will be a big moment for the promotion, not just because of McGregor’s return but also because it marks 15 years since his first fight with the UFC.
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Makhachev’s manager had raised eyebrows by saying he was “very close” to fighting on that same card, despite McGregor’s long-standing feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov’s camp. But when asked about it, Dana White quickly put an end to the speculation.
Dana White addresses rumours surrounding Islam Makhachev’s next fight
Ali Abdelaziz recently said that Islam Makhachev’s next fight was scheduled for July.
Speaking to TMZ, the MMA manager explained, “Islam got offered a different fight at welterweight to be the main event and Islam said, ‘Hey, let’s do this in July’.”
“He had some stuff going on, you know, Dana spoke about it, he had some stuff going on, but I can tell you this, if (the Ilia Topuria) fight was offered in June, and Islam even only had one leg, he would’ve took the fight.
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“But anyway, Islam already had a fight (set) in the summer. He has a welterweight number one contender match against someone. It’s a done deal already and the UFC will probably announce it soon.”
Dana White later stepped in to address confusion over when Makhachev would be fighting again.
Replying to an Instagram post suggesting Makhachev would return in July, the UFC CEO simply stated: “Not true……. It’s August.”
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Possible opponents for Islam Makhachev’s next fight
It’s still up in the air who will be first to challenge Islam Makhachev for his welterweight title.
The Russian and his team have been calling for a bout against Kamaru Usman, who is considered one of the division’s all-time greats. But with Usman holding just one win in his last four fights, that matchup doesn’t seem likely.
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Ian Machado Garry appears to be the frontrunner. The Irishman has only lost once in his career, falling to Shavkat Rakhmonov, who remains out of action due to a knee injury from their December 2024 meeting at UFC 310.
Michael Morales could also enter the mix. The unbeaten Ecuadorian moved into the top five by knocking out Sean Brady in under a round at UFC 322 last November. However, Morales doesn’t have as many high-profile victories as Garry and might not leapfrog him for the title shot.
Until Dana White makes an official announcement, fans can only speculate about who will stand across from Makhachev when he steps back into the Octagon.
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