Islam Makhachev's UFC Dominance: A Champion's Recovery

Islam Makhachev is on top of the sport, but his body is telling him to tap the brakes—just a little.

The reigning UFC welterweight champion, and the No. 1 fighter in the MMA Fighting Pound-for-Pound Rankings, has fought only once in 2026. That lone appearance was enough to extend his legend: a composed, clinical title defense against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in August, pushing his record-setting UFC win streak to 17 straight.

Seventeen in a row. Titles defended at both 170 and 155 pounds. A resume that now reads like a challenge to history rather than just another champion’s run.

Yet even the most dominant forces need maintenance.

Speaking to Match TV, Makhachev revealed that his push through two divisions has left him with some lingering issues that need attention before he signs for his next bout.

“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 jump from lightweight to welterweight has not come without a price. At 155 pounds, Makhachev set the record for most successful UFC title defenses in the division with four, then moved up and immediately imposed himself on a new weight class. Any physical discomfort stayed firmly in the background as he dominated Jack Della Maddalena to win the welterweight belt and then turned back the challenge of Garry with the authority of a man who expects to stay on the throne.

Still, the schedule that once looked relentless now has to be managed. Makhachev has always mapped his year around his faith, building his training and competition calendar around Ramadan. That hasn’t changed with the belts or the records.

This time, the timing is clear in his mind.

“We’ll wait for the UFC to call,” Makhachev 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.”

So the picture is set: the champion rehabbing, recharging, and eyeing early 2027 for his return. The streak is alive, the spine is under repair, and the rest of the welterweight division is left with a simple, uncomfortable question—who really wants to be the one waiting on the other end of that phone call when the UFC finally rings him back?