UFC CEO Dana White recently clarified the timeline for Islam Makhachev's next fight after his manager claimed the welterweight champion would compete during International Fight Week in July. White confirmed Makhachev will return to the Octagon in August instead.
Ali Abdelaziz recently told TMZ that Makhachev's next fight was set for July, potentially on the same card as Conor McGregor's highly anticipated comeback on July 11.
Islam got offered a different fight at welterweight to be the main event and Islam said, 'Hey, let's do this in July'," Abdelaziz stated.
“He had some stuff going on, you know, Dana spoke about it, he had some stuff going on, but I can tell you this, if (the Ilia Topuria) fight was offered in June, and Islam even only had one leg, he would’ve took the fight.
The MMA manager added that the bout is "a done deal already" and involves a welterweight number one contender match. "The UFC will probably announce it soon," Abdelaziz said.
Dana White Clarifies August Timeline
White quickly addressed the confusion on social media.
Not true……. It's August.
The correction rules out any possibility of Makhachev appearing during International Fight Week alongside McGregor's return. Makhachev fought twice in 2025 before capturing the welterweight championship.
Potential Opponents Remain Unclear
Makhachev's opponent for his first welterweight title defense has not been officially announced. Abdelaziz indicated the Russian accepted a bout against the top-ranked contender despite dealing with a minor hand issue.
Makhachev and his team have previously campaigned to face Kamaru Usman, though the former champion's 1-3 record in his past four UFC appearances makes that matchup unlikely.
Ian Machado Garry appears to be the most deserving option with a 17-1 record, his lone loss coming against Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 in December 2024.
Michael Morales represents another possibility after the 19-0 Ecuadorian stopped Sean Brady inside one round at UFC 322 in November. However, Morales lacks the high-level wins that Machado Garry has accumulated, making it unlikely he jumps the queue for a title shot.
