Islam Makachev won the lightweight division and later won the welterweight division and became..
Islam Makachev won the lightweight division, then the welterweight division and became the double champion last November, defeating Jack Dela Madalena.
And recently it was reported that Makachev was able to defend the welterweight title in the first competition opening the Paramount era in January 2026. Was able to play again after a short break of about two months. But Khabib Nurmagomedov stopped him.
Makachev’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, said in an interview with “MMA Junkie” that the UFC asked Makachev if he could play in January. In other words, UFC 324, the current interim lightweight title match between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaich, has been chosen as the main event.
In response, Makachev said Kamaru Usman and Ian Machado Gary were the topic of discussion. First, Khabib said “XX, don’t do it” and all plans failed.
From the UFC’s point of view, he would have wanted to decorate the book of the Paramount era as beautifully as possible. It is understandable to choose Makachev as the main character. However, the problem was timing. Makachev played a fifth round match against Madalena. After that, it is not reasonable to come back after a short break of two months. Khabib was the one who judged this part accurately.
Of course, Makachev’s welterweight title defense should happen at some point. And the next opponent is “former champion” Usman.
Abdelaziz said: “Usman is a legend. He is one of the biggest names in this weight class. If it’s Makachev, he will want an opponent who can leave a legacy in his career.”
Gary also recently became a top contender after beating Belal Muhammad. However, Abdelaziz said: “Gary is the least qualified challenger. I don’t have any distinctive performance that made me say, ‘Wow, I really want to see that match’ when I saw it. Of course, everyone has dreams and wants a title match. I can’t blame him,” he said.
What is important is that it is Usman who can be the biggest challenger against Makachev and Gary will not even last the second round, according to Makachev and Abdelaziz.
The problem is that even though Usman is a legend, his recent performance(s) haven’t been good. After allowing Leon Edwards an upset, he also lost the rematch and also fell to Hamzat Chimaev. He won the decision over Joaquin Buckley in June, but his poor performance of one win and three losses is too great to be considered a contender.
Gary, on the other hand, has recently caught up with Carlos Prachis and Muhammad and is well qualified as a contender. Shavkat Rakhmonov can also be mentioned, but he is currently excluded from Makachev’s side.
Ultimately, the UFC and Makachev’s side should be in agreement. Makachev wants Usman and this game could certainly attract a lot of attention. However, this could be one of the most popular matchups than controversial skills in recent years.
[MIN JUN KU, MK Sports Reporter]
