Nov 15, 2025; New York, NY, UNITED STATES; Islam Makhachev (blue gloves) acknowledges the crowd after defeating Jack Della Maddalena (not pictured) in the welterweight championship bout during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images

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Islam Makhachev Reveals Why He Wants To Fight Kamaru Usman Next Despite Many Young Contenders

Islam Makhachev made history at UFC 322 in November by becoming a two-division champion. The Russian defeated Jack Della Maddalena to capture the welterweight title after vacating his lightweight belt earlier in the year. Makhachev’s victory solidified his status as one of the pound-for-pound best fighters on the planet. He returned to the top spot on the P4P rankings, knocking Ilia Topuria back down and continuing their subtle rivalry.

Now comes the question every new champion faces: who’s next? The welterweight division is absolutely stacked with hungry contenders ready to challenge for the belt. That UFC 322 card featured several highly ranked welterweight contenders showing their skills. Michael Morales and Carlos Prates both impressed with their performances. Just one week later, Ian Machado Garry picked up a significant victory over former champion Belal Muhammad. The division is overflowing with young, dangerous fighters who believe they deserve title shots. But Islam Makhachev reveals why he wants to fight Kamaru Usman next, and his reasoning has sparked massive debate among fans.

Islam Makhachev Makes A Case For Fighting Kamaru Usman Over Rising Contenders

Islam Makhachev shocked fans by announcing he wants to defend his welterweight title against Kamaru Usman. The problem? Usman is currently 1-3 in his last four fights, with his only victory coming against Joaquin Buckley, who sits at number ten in the rankings. That record doesn’t exactly scream “deserving title challenger” to most observers. The fanbase erupted with criticism, accusing Makhachev of cherry-picking an easy fight against a declining former champion. But the Russian doubled down on his position during an interview with Red Corner MMA.

“I said that I wanted to fight Kamaru Usman next. Although the media doesn’t believe in this fight as I can see, but in my opinion, Usman would steamroll through each of these up-and-comers like Morales, Prates, the striker Machado Garry.”

Islam Makhachev says he wants to fight Kamaru Usman next since it would be the toughest fight in the division for him 👀

“The media doesn’t believe in this fight, but in my opinion Usman would steamroll through each of these up-and-comers like Morales, Prates…

Those guys… pic.twitter.com/eQuxTfXmKV
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 10, 2025

That’s a bold claim considering how impressive those young contenders have looked recently. Makhachev continued by arguing that none of these rising fighters have been properly tested yet. He genuinely believes Usman would destroy all of them and represents the toughest fight available at welterweight.

Makhachev also brought up Usman’s recent victory over Buckley as evidence that ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ still has plenty left in the tank. That logic suggests Usman beating a top-ten fighter should keep him relevant in title conversations despite his overall losing record recently. Whether Dana White grants Makhachev’s wish or forces him to face a legitimate contender remains to be seen.

(Image Credit: Ed Mulholland – Imagn Images)

Islam Makhachev

Kamaru Usman

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!