Islam
Makhachev says he doesn’t always get to fight as frequently as
he’d like to.
Makhachev (28-1) puts his
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title on the line
for the first time against Ian Garry
(17-1) at UFC
330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. The
Russian returns nine months after winning the 170-pound belt and he
wants to be more active going forward.
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Islam Makhachev wants quicker UFC turnaround after Ian Garry
title fight
Makhachev says he wouldn’t mind fighting again this year if he
doesn’t have any injuries. While he has been accused of inactivity
previously, the Dagestani champion claims that he wants to fight as
often as possible. The 34-year-old wants to make the most of the
limited time he has left in his career.
Makhachev says that bookings are often delayed due to factors
beyond his control.
“It’s not a problem for me if I don’t have any injuries, not cut
much weight,” Makhachev told UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious
Johnson. “I’m not like young guy. Now it’s better for me to
fight every three to four months… I understand I’m not 28 years
old; I’m 34 right now. And I don’t have much time. Sometimes it’s
not going like you want in the UFC. You want to fight after three
or four months, but it’s not according to your wish.”
Makhachev has rarely fought more than twice a year since joining
the UFC in 2015. However, a large part of his early UFC career was
stalled due to opponents ducking him. Makhachev won the lightweight
title in 2022 and defended it four times before moving up to
welterweight last year.