Islam Makhachev is in no mood for a long layoff. The problem, for once, isn’t an opponent. It’s his own body.
The reigning UFC welterweight champion, and the No. 1 fighter in the MMA Fighting pound-for-pound rankings, has stepped into the cage just once in 2026. That lone appearance was enough to make more history. In August at UFC 330, he turned back Ian Machado Garry to notch another title defense and push his winning streak to a UFC-record 17 consecutive victories.
He now stands alone in the record books, with successful title defenses at both 170 and 155 pounds. Lightweight, welterweight, it hasn’t mattered. The belt has stayed on his shoulder.
But the cost of that dominance is starting to show.
Speaking to Match TV, Makhachev revealed that he has been dealing with lingering physical issues since the Garry fight and has undergone extensive medical checks.
“After the fight, I had three MRIs and had my entire spine checked,” Makhachev said, via a Russian-to-English translation from Championship Rounds. “There are a few small issues, so I’m working on them. It’s nothing serious. I’m just strengthening my spine.”
The move up from lightweight has demanded changes. Different weight cuts. Different frames crashing into him. Different power in every clinch and scramble. He has already rewritten the lightweight record book with four successful title defenses at 155, then marched into welterweight and dominated Jack Della Maddalena to seize the belt before outclassing Garry in his first defense.
If he’s been hurting, it hasn’t shown on fight night.
Still, even the most relentless champions have to listen when the body starts talking. For Makhachev, that means a brief pause, not a prolonged disappearance. He insists the issues are manageable, more about maintenance than crisis, and he’s already focused on when he can compete again.
His calendar, as always, orbits around faith. A devout Muslim, Makhachev builds his training and fight schedule around Ramadan. That spiritual anchor now doubles as a competitive target.
“We’ll wait for the UFC to call,” he said. “I think the ideal scenario would be to fight before Ramadan. Ramadan starts for us in February. A date before Ramadan would be ideal.”
Early 2027, then, becomes the window. The champion is healing, waiting, strengthening. The streak is alive, the belts are his, and the next challenger is out there somewhere—knowing that when the call comes, Makhachev intends to be ready again.
