I do not have much time left in UFC - Makhachev
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- Islam Makhachev told UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson that at 34, he wants to fight every three to four months because 'I don't have much time' left in the promotion.
- Makhachev faces Ian Machado Garry at the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Saturday in his first welterweight title defense since moving up from lightweight after a record-breaking fourth title reign.
- Makhachev has won 17 of his 18 UFC fights since debuting in 2015; beating Machado Garry would eclipse Anderson Silva's 16 successive UFC wins — a record that has stood for 13 years.
- UFC president Dana White said earlier this week Makhachev is 'on the right path' to being regarded as the greatest fighter in UFC history.
- Machado Garry (10-1 in the UFC) can become the first Irish champion since Conor McGregor and surpass McGregor as the Irishman with the most UFC wins if he pulls the upset.
- Makhachev became a two-division champion by beating Jack Della Maddalena last year — a milestone his retired coach Khabib Nurmagomedov, who went 29-0, never reached.
Why it matters: A win gives Makhachev sole possession of the longest UFC win streak (17 straight) and, per Dana White, strengthens his claim to GOAT status — surpassing Silva's 13-year-old record and outpacing Nurmagomedov's resume with a second weight-class title. The bout also gives Machado Garry the chance to end an Irish title drought stretching back to McGregor and reset the conversation about who sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings.
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