Islam Makhachev Breaks Down State of UFC Welterweight Division
UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev broke down the state of the weight class that he currently is the champion of.
Makhachev just beat Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 for his first official title defense at 170 lbs after previously fighting at lightweight for his entire UFC career.
Next, Makhachev is likely to fight Carlos Prates, though the UFC hasn’t officially announced that the Brazilian knockout artist will get the next title shot.
If not Prates, then Michael Morales and Shavkat Rakhmonov are both interesting title challengers for Makhachev, who has plenty of challenges remaining at 170 lbs, including former Bellator MMA welterweight champion Yaroslav Amosov.
Islam Makhachev Breaks Down UFC Welterweight Division
Speaking to Ushatayka, Makhachev broke down the current state of the UFC welterweight division.
“Honestly, I put (Prates, Shavkat and Morales) all on the same level. Prates has striking power he’s dangerous. Morales himself is very big, and he’s dangerous both in wrestling and on the feet. Shavkat as well, overall skill-wise he’s a very serious opponent. I don’t think (Amosov) is a dangerous opponent. Someone shut down his wrestling, and look what happened. I don’t consider him a dangerous fighter at all. I think one of the most dangerous and serious opponents was my last fight with Ian Garry. And I think he’ll become champion after I’m done being champion,” Makhachev said.
Islam Makhachev gave his opinion on the current top welterweights:
“Honestly, I put [Prates, Shavkat and Morales] all on the same level. Prates has striking power he’s dangerous. Morales himself is very big, and he’s dangerous both in wrestling and on the feet. Shavkat as well,… pic.twitter.com/04S7KEHddB
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 13, 2026
Who Will Islam Makhachev Fight Next?
It does feel like Prates will get the next title shot at 170 lbs since he is the most exciting fighter in the weight class right now and is coming off back-to-back knockout wins over two former UFC welterweight champions in Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards.
That being said, Morales is also deserving of a title shot, and you can never forget about the undefeated Rakhmonov, who has been out for two years with injuries but who was set to fight for the belt before he was forced to step away from the sport to tend to his injuries.
Either way, look for Makhachev to fight next either later this year or at the beginning of 2027 before the start of Ramadan.
Like HEAVY's content?Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
The post Islam Makhachev Breaks Down State of UFC Welterweight Division appeared first on HEAVY.