Islam Makhachev made history at UFC 330, extending his Octagon winning streak to 17 fights and breaking Anderson Silva’s long-standing record. The Dagestani got the job done against Ian Machado Garry in a grueling five-round battle to defend his welterweight title, with the judges scoring the fight 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 in favor of the champion.
After the fight, Makhachev revealed that he wants to compete one more time before Ramadan begins in February. Considering how stacked the 170-pound division is right now, he certainly has no shortage of options. Carlos Prates has already called for a showdown with Makhachev at UFC 334 in November at the iconic Madison Square Garden, where the Dagestani headlined last year.
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But what does Makhachev himself see ahead of him? The champion has made it clear that retirement is not on his mind just yet. Still, after breaking Silva’s legendary winning streak record, Makhachev appears to be wondering what major milestone could be next.
Speaking to Ushatayka, the reigning welterweight champion opened up about his future and admitted that even his record could eventually fall. He said, “No record is unbreakable. There are fighters out there who are getting closer. There are already fighters breathing down my neck with 10 wins.”
The champion admitted he was not sure, pointing toward the record for title-fight wins but acknowledging just how difficult it would be to catch Jon Jones.
He said, “I don’t really know [what will be the next] record for myself. Maybe for title fights? But it’s a hard one to beat. I fought ten bouts before the title while the one who holds the record [Jon Jones] had the title in his third or fourth fight. So I don’t know what records will come next.”
For now, though, Makhachev seems more focused on the challenges still waiting for him inside the Octagon. He believes there are at least three tough fights ahead before he considers calling it a day.
He added, “I don’t know what other records there will be for me to chase. What I know is right now in my division, there are some very strong title contenders. Looking ahead, I think there will be at least three more exciting and very difficult fights in front of me.”
Islam Makhachev says he believes he has at least three more “very hard and exciting fights” left in his career, while admitting he isn’t sure which records he can still chase after breaking one that once seemed unbreakable.
“Well, no record is unbreakable. There are fighters out… pic.twitter.com/LUHlfUcnPv
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) August 25, 2026
Makhachev did not name those challengers, but it did not take long for fans to connect the dots. Carlos Prates, Michael Morales and a healthy Shavkat Rakhmonov all stand out as potential threats to the champion. Makhachev is now 7-0 in UFC title fights and already owns wins over Jack Della Maddalena, whom he defeated to capture the welterweight belt, and Garry in his latest defense.
There has been plenty of speculation about how much longer Makhachev will continue fighting, especially given the path taken by his mentor, UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov. Khabib walked away from MMA undefeated at 29-0 at just 32 years old.
Makhachev, meanwhile, is closing in on 35 and does not appear ready to follow the same timeline just yet. If he really does have at least three more difficult fights ahead of him, the next few years could tell us just how much more the Dagestani champion has left to accomplish.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
