Islam Makhachev’s next opponent will now have to go up against a two-division champion who just made combat sports history the hard way. After snuffing out Ian Machado Garry’s relentless advance over five rounds, the reigning welterweight champ effectively broke Anderson Silva’s record for the longest win streak in UFC history.
Makhachev now has 17 consecutive wins across two divisions, and an even stronger argument in the G.O.A.T. debate. The Dagestani wrestler has also publicly stated that he wants to defend the belt before Ramadan begins in 2027, possibly in December this year or early January, but this recent title defense might have exposed a little more than just the record it made.
Dana White talked about Machado Garry’s ‘lack of a killer instinct’ in the fight, even though the fighter had an answer every time Makhachev tried to up the pace on him. It is also worth noting that holding out for 25 championship minutes against the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighter isn’t just impressive; it is a statement. Three judges scored the contest 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 in favor of Makhachev, but the champion looked battered and genuinely beatable against a larger opponent by the final horn.
In the aftermath of UFC 330, Joe Rogan raised an interesting question ringside alongside Jon Anik and Daniel Cormier:
“(Makhachev) was really tested in ways that we haven’t seen him tested before. You’re used to Islam having a certain amount of control and dominance that he just didn’t seem to have over the bigger guys…. And this is the question as he’s moved up to 170. There’s some guys like Michael Morales that are absolutely gigantic. What happens if he fights those guys?”
Who Should Be The Next Islam Makhachev Opponent?
Chael Sonnen held a similar opinion and made it clear in a reaction video posted to YouTube hours after the fight. The West Linn, Oregon native admitted he could not identify a clear weakness in Makhachev’s performance, but the champion’s struggles to control the challenger’s size changed his perspective on the division entirely. In his own words,
“My interest in seeing Michael Morales take on Islam did not exist until now. Just now is when I realized that Morales could do a better job defending takedowns than Ian, at least in theory, and that Morales can engage a little bit more explosively. I can’t say Morales’s combinations are better than Garry, but I think that his power is. And all of a sudden, Morales starts to look like a very interesting proposition.”
Makhachev, though, has leaned towards Carlos Prates over Morales for his next defense, while also highlighting the latter’s inactivity since November. With pundits like Rogan and Sonnen vouching for him, however, the question is slowly becoming impossible to ignore: will Morales be the one to put an end to Makhachev’s total domination?
The 27-year-old Ecuadorian is hungry and hunting. He enters any potential matchup unbeaten at 19-0. Standing 6 feet tall, with a reach of 79 inches, his frame almost mirrors that of Macado Garry, with arguably better takedown defense and far more devastating knockout power.
Prates, on the other hand, carries a rougher record at 24-7, with his most recent loss coming against Machado Garry in April last year. He followed it up by knocking out Geoff Neal via a viral spinning elbow and finishing two former champions, Leon Edwards and Jack Della Maddalena, back-to-back. During UFC 330, the Brazilian striker was spotted debating Michael Morales in the crowd over who should fight Makhachev next. He even used a bold, straightforward approach to call out the champion later in a video doing the rounds on social media,
“I will knock you out, bro… I will bring that belt to Brazil. The first Welterweight champ from Brazil.”
The current champion has suggested that Morales and Prates fight it out among themselves for the new #1 contender’s spot first, though none of this should close the door on an immediate rematch against Machado Garry in that regard. The Irishman pushed the champion further than any welterweight since the move up. A second fight, while the questions from the first one are still fresh, might answer more than any new scenario would.
One Wildcard Could Be The Toughest Challenge For The Champion
On paper, Shavkat Rakhmonov remains the biggest stylistic problem for Makhachev at 170. The Kazakh’s last fight at UFC 310 in December 2024 was against Machado Garry: a five-round decision win that he fought through with a torn meniscus and ACL. During rehab for that injury, he suffered another torn knee requiring surgery and was pulled from the rankings entirely in February. Add to that a stretch of personal setbacks, rendering the Nomad unable to commit to training fully.
Rakhmonov’s primary physician, Dr. Mikhail Markuart, has since confirmed that there are no medical restrictions on his return. Footage released more recently by his team showed him sparring and doing pad work. He is expected to be back inside the Octagon by early 2027 (a timeline that could align with the current champion’s wish for a fight right before Ramadan).
A healthy Rakhmonov brings the exact profile that should worry Makhachev the most: elite grappling and takedown defense paired with real knockout power. A combination none of the current contenders can fully claim at the moment.
Every path forward carries real intrigue for the first time in years for the welterweight division, and that alone makes the next fight the most unpredictably dangerous booking for the current champion. Will the entire top-control, run-the-clock-out strategy ultimately prevail for Makhachev? That is anyone’s guess for the making. The UFC has no option but to make it interesting to matter.
