Overview
- UFC CEO Dana White wrote on Instagram on Thursday that reports of a July return are "not true" and that Islam Makhachev is being lined up for August.
- An opponent has not been announced, though multiple outlets report Ian Machado Garry as the frontrunner, with Michael Morales and Kamaru Usman also discussed as options.
- The update counters manager Ali Abdelaziz’s TMZ claim that a July defense against a No. 1 welterweight contender was a "done deal," a storyline that circulated before White’s correction.
- Talks for a superfight with lightweight champion Ilia Topuria were briefly explored and then dropped, with Topuria’s manager citing an insufficient offer and Abdelaziz saying the proposal was pulled before he even spoke to Makhachev.
- Abdelaziz also claims the UFC told Topuria he would need to vacate his lightweight belt to face Makhachev at 170 pounds, as Makhachev remains sidelined publicly by a hand issue after winning the welterweight title in November 2025.