Islam Makhachev title-defense talk shifts as UFC eyes a “much bigger” fight
Sunday at 11: 20 a. m. ET, new welterweight champion islam makhachev became the center of renewed matchmaking intrigue after his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, posted that the UFC is working on a “much bigger” fight that does not involve No. 2-ranked contender Ian Garry. The timing matters because speculation over Makhachev’s first 170-pound title defense accelerated immediately after UFC 322, and contenders are now publicly positioning themselves as the next challenger.
Michael Morales, the No. 3-ranked welterweight contender, added to that push this week with a social media post that fueled discussion about who will face Makhachev next. Yet Abdelaziz’s message signaled that the promotion’s immediate plans may be moving away from the most obvious ranked route, at least in the near term.
Ali Abdelaziz says Ian Garry is out of the current Islam Makhachev plan
Abdelaziz wrote on social media that the UFC is “working on a big fight” for Islam Makhachev and that Garry’s name “is not involved. ” He described the target as “much bigger, ” adding that it is “one of the biggest fights” the UFC can make right now and telling fans to “stay tuned. ”
Garry is currently ranked No. 2 at 170 pounds. Abdelaziz’s post, however, suggested that whatever is being assembled for Makhachev is not simply the next fight in the rankings queue.
The same comments framed the moment as a pivot point in the immediate post-UFC 322 landscape: contenders are campaigning for a title shot, but the champion’s team is pointing to a different direction that would leapfrog at least one prominent name.
Michael Morales stirs matchup talk after UFC 322 win streak and Instagram post
Morales has been among the welterweights trying to generate speculation about a fight with Islam Makhachev, and this week he amplified that discussion by sharing an Instagram Story featuring an edited photo of himself facing off with the UFC’s welterweight champion.
The Ecuadorian is 19-0 as a professional and joined the UFC off Dana White’s Contender Series in 2021. He has since stacked seven victories inside the Octagon to rise into the welterweight elite.
At UFC 322, the 26-year-old Morales knocked out fellow top-ranked welterweight contender Sean Brady in the opening round. That result landed on the same card where Makhachev later took a unanimous decision over Jack Della Maddalena to win the promotion’s welterweight strap, intensifying the immediate push to identify the next challenger.
UFC 322 created the rush for Islam Makhachev’s first welterweight defense
Islam Makhachev entered UFC 322 as the UFC’s current pound-for-pound king and had relinquished his lightweight belt last year ahead of a long-teased move to 170 pounds. At UFC 322, he delivered what was described as a dominant showing to unseat Jack Della Maddalena and join the short list of fighters to hold UFC titles in two different weight classes.
That sequence is why matchmaking chatter is peaking now: the belt changed hands at welterweight at UFC 322, and the division’s top contenders began using travel and social media to angle for position in the days that followed. Garry, ranked one spot ahead of Morales at No. 2, also stirred talk when he traveled to Georgia to presumably work on his wrestling.
Even with that public campaigning, the clearest near-term signal from the champion’s camp is Abdelaziz’s statement that the UFC is planning something else. Abdelaziz’s post raised the possibility that a different opponent is being prioritized for Makhachev’s next appearance, with clarity potentially arriving soon.
The next potential inflection point could come quickly: Abdelaziz’s message indicated that more clarity may come by the end of the week. If the UFC finalizes the “much bigger” matchup referenced in the post, it would set the direction for Islam Makhachev’s next fight and, in turn, reshape the immediate title picture for Garry and Morales.
