Overview
- Makhachev said the UFC offered him a January 2026 title defense, which he turned down due to late notice after a long camp for UFC 322, and he is aiming to fight in April–June after Ramadan with interest in the White House card.
- He said the UFC did not name the January opponent and he believes it was likely Michael Morales rather than Kamaru Usman.
- Makhachev continues to push for Usman, calling him his hardest matchup and arguing the former champion would overwhelm rising contenders.
- The UFC has not announced a challenger, with Michael Morales, Ian Machado Garry, Carlos Prates, Shavkat Rakhmonov and Usman all discussed, while some fighters publicly question Usman’s case.
- Makhachev captured the welterweight title at UFC 322 by dominating Jack Della Maddalena with more than 19 minutes of ground control after vacating his lightweight belt earlier in the year.