Islam Makhachev says his next fight is 'one of the last in my career'
The UFC welterweight champion says he wants to face the best of Carlos Prates and Michael Morales, who meet for the interim title at UFC 336 in Toronto.
Islam Makhachev has said his next fight will be one of the last of his career, and that he wants to face the best of Carlos Prates and Michael Morales, who fight for the interim welterweight title in January.
The UFC welterweight champion wrote on X: "My next fight is one of the last in my career. They say Prates is too dangerous for me and Morales is too good for me. So I want to face the best of them and prove to the world once again who is the best in world."
Prates will fight unbeaten Michael Morales for the interim title in the main event of UFC 336 in Toronto on 30 January. Prates had originally been expected to challenge Makhachev on that card.
Makhachev has said he turned down the Prates fight because the Brazilian had recently lost to Ian Machado Garry, a fighter Makhachev has already beaten. He will not return to the Octagon until after Ramadan, which is expected to end in March.
The decision has drawn criticism, with some fans calling for the UFC to strip him of the title. Earlier this year the 35-year-old said he would fight only three more times, with the aim of reaching a 20-fight winning streak.
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