Islam Makhachev shares his thoughts after another major fight in his division took place on Saturday night.
Makhachev won the welterweight crown on November 15 and only last Saturday he reclaimed that title.
However, there was instantly talk of who the new champion’s first challenger will be following several statement performances that took place on the same night.
UFC Qatar gave another chance for a welterweight fighter to get their name in the title race and secure a match with the Russian.
Ian Machado Garry beat Belal Muhammad at the co-main match before addressing Makhachev. Makhachev has since shared his response.
Belal Muhammad confesses to having HIV ‘work to do’ The first time that a team has suffered back-to-back defeats
Ian Machado Garry should fight someone else next.
Islam Makhachev believes Ian Machado Garry may be the next to come in a specific scenario
Kamaru Usman is the first contender that Islam Makhachev chose to face after winning the welterweight title.
Ian Machado Garry’s recent win has kept him in the discussion, even though a better finish on Saturday would have made his case stronger.
Makhachev, who cornered several fighters at UFC Qatar, didn’t address the Irishman’s performance until speaking to the media after the event.
The welterweight champ said via Ushatayka, (translated by YouTube), that the decision regarding his next bout will be made in the coming week.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
“At my event, two guys were fighting,”Makhachev remembered. “Both won their fights early. Both are young, and they finish their fights well, but we now have a division where, I believe, the most active are the youngest. This is where the most competitive battles take place. I believe the UFC will make a decision soon.
“Yesterday there was a good fight. I believe we now have three or four potential contenders. It will become clear in the near future – probably within two weeks – who the next competitor will be.
2025-11-23 19:30:00
