Islam Makhachev expressed grave concern over Tagir Ulanbekov's grueling weight cut for UFC Qatar, calling it the worst he'd witnessed. Makhachev obser

Nate Diaz doesn't think Islam Makhachev is the #1 pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC right now 😬 "He's been here for like 2 minutes, he ain't beat no one that crazy. You're just gonna throw 'GOAT' at him when he just showed up on the scene? I can't even remember anything but… pic.twitter.com/MmeYFB356D

UFC veteran urges Kamaru Usman to avoid fighting with UFC champ Islam Makhachev and retire while still at the top.

Islam Makhachev took the UFC's top pound-for-pound spot back from Ilia Topuria after winning the welterweight belt at UFC 322.

Makhachev's dominant win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 to claim a second belt has many putting him in the greatest of all time conversation. However, former UFC welterweight champion Woodley still sees Makhachev's mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov's name associated with him.

With Makhachev (19-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) changing the guard at 170 pounds with a unanimous decision over Jack Della Maddalena (18-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) at UFC 322 this past Saturday, there are no shortage of options for his first defense. UFC CEO Dana White called it "a good problem to have," but ultimately only one can be offered the fight.

The ascent of Makhachev is just part of the upheaval that UFC 322 brought about at welterweight. Explosive knockout victories by Michael Morales and Carlos Prates boosted their st

Rakhmonov cemented himself as No. 1. contender when he defeated Ian Machado Garry at UFC 310 in December 2024. He was slated to challenge Belal Muhammad for the welterweight title at UFC 315 in May but withdrew due to injury. He has not competed since.