Islam Makhachev is reaffirming his interest in a matchup against Kamaru Usman, showcasing confidence in what he believes would be a compelling fight. Makhachev recently claimed the UFC Welterweight Championship after a commanding performance against Jack Della Maddalena in November. With the emergence of top contenders like Michael Morales and Ian Machado Garry, Makhachev finds himself in a position where several fighters are vying for the title shot.
Despite the growing list of contenders in the welterweight division, Makhachev insists that Usman represents the most formidable challenge. In an interview with Red Corner MMA, he stated, “I said that I wanted to fight Kamaru Usman next. Although the media doesn’t believe in this fight as I can see, but in my opinion, Usman would steamroll through each of these up-and-comers like Morales, Prates… those guys haven’t been checked yet.” He emphasized that the promotional aspect of facing a former champion with a record of title defenses would add excitement to the bout.
Usman, despite facing a challenging stretch of 1-3 in his last four fights, managed to secure a win against Joaquin Buckley by unanimous decision in June, breaking a three-fight losing streak that included setbacks to Leon Edwards and a close majority decision loss to Khamzat Chimaev in a middleweight contest.
However, Makhachev’s call for this matchup has drawn criticism from fellow welterweights. Ian Machado Garry has labeled Usman as “irrelevant” leading into 2026, while Sean Brady contends that other fighters deserve a title shot over Usman, advocating for Morales to be next in line.
As it stands, the UFC has yet to finalize who will challenge Makhachev for his welterweight belt. The landscape of the division continues to evolve, and fans can expect ongoing developments as new contenders make their cases for the title shot.