UFC champion Islam Makhachev says his next fight will be ‘one of last’

Makhachev, one of the best fighters in UFC history, wants to face the winner of next year’s Prates vs Morales fight.Published On 31 Oct 202631 Oct 2026Reigning UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev has hinted at an imminent retirement, saying his next fight will be “one of the last” of his mixed martial arts career.“My next fight is one of the last in my career,” the Russian MMA fighter said on X on Friday night.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3LeBron James, Tyrese Maxey shine as 76ers beat Knicks in NBA Cup thrillerlist 2 of 3MLB World Series: How does baseball compare with other US sports?list 3 of 3Canada’s in-form Leylah Fernandez reaches Pan Pacific Open final in Tokyoend of listThe Russian-born Dagestani fighter has expressed a desire to face the winner of the upcoming bout between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales in a bid to prove to the world “who is the best”.Makhachev (29 wins, one loss) successfully defended his UFC welterweight championship belt in August, defeating ‌‌Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 330 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.With that, Makhachev etched his ⁠⁠name in the UFC record books, extending his...