UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev can't seem to get his story straight.
The plan was for Makhachev to defend his title against Carlos Prates on Jan. 30 at UFC 336, but that fell through after the champ turned it down, leaving the UFC to book Prates against Michael Morales for an interim belt in the UFC 336 co-headliner.
The surprising reason, as Makhachev explained it, is that Prates (24-7 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and Morales (19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) should fight each other to determine one "true, worthy contender." Makhachev doubled down on that sentiment when speaking with reporters Friday in Uzbekistan.
"It's a good fight, and I think both of them deserve a title shot," Makhachev said. "That's why I would like to see which of them is more deserving.
We'll find out in January."
In that same 5-minute session, Makhachev was asked how many fights he could have left before retirement, which he recently alluded to happening soon. Makhachev gave a curious answer.
"There's no number," Makhachev said. "I am just reaching the finish line. There aren't many things that could give me motivation in this sport. I'm at the finish line. I just want to fight the contenders, but I don't see any new names."
The issue is that most pundits and fans would say both Prates and Morales are those new names at the top of the UFC rankings, just as Makhachev himself mentioned "both of them deserve a title shot."
Prates has won three straight, including most recently a TKO finish of former champ Jack Della Maddalena, while Morales remains undefeated after most recently knocking out Sean Brady.
Perhaps Makhachev's excelerated push toward retirement shouldn't come as a surprise after Khabib Nurmagomedov said in August 2025 that his star pupil would fight only for one to two more years. Makhachev made it clear Friday that his mother could have final say.
"My mother has always been against me fighting," Makhachev said. "I've always listened to my mother, so soon I will obey her word."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Contradicting statements add mystery to Islam Makhachev’s UFC future
