Islam Makhachev's Next Fight Is a 'Done Deal' for July. The Topuria Superfight Is Dead. And Nobody Knows Who He's Fighting

The biggest fight in MMA just died and we need to talk about what happened.

Ali Abdelaziz, Islam Makhachev's manager, confirmed today that the welterweight champion's next title defense is "a done deal" for this July. It's a welterweight #1 contender fight. It's already agreed upon. The UFC will announce it soon. And it is NOT the Ilia Topuria superfight that the entire MMA world has been begging for since November.

That fight is dead. And the way it died is peak UFC politics.

According to Abdelaziz, the UFC called him about the Topuria fight. He was excited about it. Islam was sleeping. Before Ali could even wake him up and tell him the news, the UFC called back and said "never mind, the fight is not gonna happen." That fast bro. The biggest pound for pound matchup in the sport went from possible to dead before the champion even heard about it.

Topuria's side wanted more money. Topuria would've had to vacate his lightweight belt to fight at welterweight. And the UFC decided it wasn't worth the hassle when they could just book Topuria vs Gaethje for the White House card instead and give Makhachev a welterweight contender in July.

So here we are. Islam Makhachev, the #1 pound for pound fighter in the world, is getting a title defense this summer against a contender nobody can confirm yet. And the superfight everybody wanted is sitting on a shelf collecting dust.

How the Topuria Fight Fell Apart

Look, I get why both sides did what they did. But the timeline is frustrating.

Makhachev won the welterweight belt from Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November. Dominant performance. Moved up from lightweight, took the belt, made it look routine. He's now a two division champion with a 27-1 record. The only loss on his resume is a knockout from years ago that might as well be from a different career.

Topuria won the vacant lightweight belt after Makhachev left the division. He's 15-0. The undisputed lightweight champion. A knockout artist who's beaten Volkanovski, defended the belt against Diego Lopes, and might arguably be the best boxer in UFC's history. Two of the top three pound for pound fighters on the planet, both holding belts, both willing to fight each other. That's the kind of matchup that comes along once every few years.

Makhachev was publicly saying he was ready. "I like this idea. If the UFC wants this fight, I know a lot of MMA fans want this fight, I'm ready." He was even open to doing it at the White House card in June, which would've been the biggest fight in UFC history on the biggest stage the promotion has ever had.

But Topuria's camp wanted the money to match the magnitude. Abdelaziz said Topuria's manager Malki Kawa basically priced the UFC out by demanding a number that was too high. Abdelaziz put it bluntly: "There's so many ways to turn down a fight. I can say, 'I'm gonna fight Francis Ngannou, give me $50 million.' I can't knock him down for wanting a lot of money. But also, I can say certain numbers to turn the UFC off."

And the UFC wanted Topuria to vacate his lightweight belt if he was moving up to 170. Topuria didn't want to do that. He just won it. And honestly? I don't blame him for that either. But the UFC wasn't going to let a champion hold up a division while fighting in a different weight class. We've seen how that goes. Conor held the featherweight belt hostage while fighting at lightweight and Dana was furious about it for years.

So the Topuria fight died because of money, because of the belt situation, and because the UFC found an easier path by splitting the two champions across two different cards. Topuria gets Gaethje at the White House. Makhachev gets a welterweight contender in July. Everybody fights, nobody gets the superfight, and fans like you and me get to watch two good fights instead of one great one.

That's how the UFC works. They'll always choose the path of least resistance when the negotiations get complicated.

So Who's Getting the Title Shot?

This is where it gets interesting because Abdelaziz confirmed the fight is done but didn't name the opponent. And the welterweight division has at least four guys with a legitimate claim.

Ian Machado Garry is the most obvious choice. He's ranked #2 at welterweight. He beat Belal Muhammad, who was the champion before Della Maddalena took the belt. He beat Michael Page. He went to Georgia to train his wrestling specifically for the Makhachev fight and has been publicly campaigning for months. Garry even called out Abdelaziz for lying about the timeline, saying Islam is ducking and his manager is "full of shit." That's the kind of trash talk that either gets you the fight or gets you blacklisted, and with Garry it could honestly go either way.

But Abdelaziz previously said the fight was "much bigger" than Garry, which is confusing because who at welterweight is a bigger fight than the #2 ranked contender? And today he's calling it a "welterweight #1 contender match," which sounds like it IS Garry unless the UFC has something else cooking.

Michael Morales is the dark horse. Undefeated Ecuadorian knockout artist. He's been calling for the fight. Makhachev himself said earlier this year that he thought Morales was the opponent, and that Morales is "way more dangerous as a puncher" than Topuria would be at 170. That's a wild thing for a champion to say about a relatively unknown contender over the biggest name in the sport, but it tells you Makhachev respects the kid's power.

Kamaru Usman is the legacy pick. Makhachev's camp has been pushing for this one because they think Usman's grappling would make for the most interesting stylistic matchup. Two elite wrestlers going at it. The narrative writes itself. But Usman hasn't earned a title shot based on recent results and the UFC seems to have moved in a different direction.

My best guess? It's Garry or Morales. If I had to bet, I'd say Garry because he's ranked highest and has been the most vocal. But Morales has the knockout power that would make for a more exciting fight, and the UFC loves a dangerous young challenger who can sell the "can he dethrone the champion?" storyline.

Why This Matters Beyond the Welterweight Division

The Makhachev vs Topuria superfight dying is a bigger deal than people realize. That fight had the potential to be the biggest event in UFC history outside of McGregor cards. Two unbeatable champions, both in their primes, fighting for bragging rights and pound for pound supremacy. You could've sold that fight to casual fans, hardcore fans, boxing fans, everybody.

And it fell apart over money and belt politics. The same two things that keep killing the biggest fights in this sport.

Makhachev vs Topuria should happen in 2026. Abdelaziz says he thinks it still can if both guys win their upcoming fights. Islam defends the welterweight belt in July, Topuria unifies the lightweight belts against Gaethje in June, and then they can figure out the superfight for the fall. That's the hope anyway.

But we've been here before. Khabib vs GSP never happened. Jones vs Ngannou never happened in the UFC. The sport has a habit of teasing its biggest possible matchups and then finding reasons not to make them. Money, injuries, belt logistics, promotional politics. Something always gets in the way.

For now, Makhachev fights in July. The opponent will be announced soon. And the biggest fight the UFC could possibly make sits on ice for at least another six months.

At 27-1 with two division titles, Islam Makhachev doesn't need the Topuria fight to prove anything. He's already one of the greatest to ever do it. But the fans need that fight. The sport needs that fight. And the fact that it almost happened and then died before Islam even woke up from his nap is one of the funniest things I've ever heard.

Thanks for riding with CageLore. Stay locked in!

Frequently Asked Questions About Islam Makhachev's Next Fight

When is Islam Makhachev fighting next?

Makhachev's manager Ali Abdelaziz confirmed on March 25, 2026 that the welterweight champion's next title defense is "a done deal" and scheduled for July 2026. The UFC has not officially announced the opponent or exact date.

Who is Makhachev fighting?

The opponent has not been officially named. The most likely candidates are Ian Machado Garry (#2 ranked welterweight), Michael Morales (undefeated Ecuadorian contender), or Kamaru Usman. Abdelaziz described it as a "welterweight #1 contender match."

Why didn't Makhachev vs Topuria happen?

The superfight fell apart for multiple reasons. Topuria's camp demanded a high price that the UFC wasn't willing to meet. The UFC also required Topuria to vacate his lightweight belt to fight at welterweight, which he didn't want to do. The UFC instead booked Topuria vs Justin Gaethje for the White House card on June 14.

What is Makhachev's record?

Islam Makhachev is 27-1 in professional MMA. He is the current UFC welterweight champion, having won the belt from Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in November 2025. He previously held the UFC lightweight championship before vacating to move up to 170 pounds.

Could Makhachev vs Topuria still happen in 2026?

According to Abdelaziz, the fight could potentially happen later in 2026 if both champions win their upcoming bouts. Makhachev would need to defend his welterweight belt in July and Topuria would need to beat Gaethje at the White House card in June.

Does Makhachev have an injury?

Dana White stated that Makhachev is dealing with a hand injury. However, Makhachev posted training footage this week showing him hitting the heavy bag, suggesting the injury is not preventing him from preparing for a fight.