Islam Makhachev Admits UFC Career May Be Entering Final Phase

Islam Makhachev has put a clock on the next stage of his UFC career.

The Russian champion is preparing for his first defence of the welterweight title against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia on Saturday, but the fight week focus has shifted toward what comes after it.

Makhachev, 34, made it clear that he knows his time at the top will not last forever. He wants to stay active while he still can.

“I’m not like young guy,” Makhachev told UFC Hall of Famer Demetrious Johnson. “Now it’s better for me to fight every three to four months.”

Then came the blunt part.

“I understand I’m not 28 years old; I’m 34 right now. And I don’t have much time.”

That statement puts a different edge on Saturday’s contest. Makhachev has spent years building one of the strongest resumes in modern MMA. He entered the UFC in 2015, eventually captured the lightweight championship and defended that belt four times before moving up.

He then defeated Jack Della Maddalena to claim the 170-pound championship.

Makhachev chasing another piece of history

The Islam Makhachev UFC future could become even more significant if he beats Garry. A victory would give him 17 consecutive UFC wins, moving him past Anderson Silva's long-standing record of 16.

Garry arrives with plenty of confidence of his own. The Irishman has won 10 of his last 11 UFC fights and sees the matchup as the biggest opportunity of his career.

The UFC 330 Makhachev vs Garry clash also carries a clear stylistic divide. Makhachev's wrestling and grappling will face Garry's striking and anti-grappling, creating a fight that could test both men in unfamiliar territory.

Garry has spoken openly about Makhachev's achievements, calling him a two-weight world champion and one of the greatest fighters to compete in the sport.

For Makhachev, though, the stakes are personal as well as historic. He wants to fight regularly. He knows the UFC schedule does not always work that way. Injuries, negotiations and circumstances can stretch the gaps between appearances.

At 34, he has started thinking about those gaps differently. The UFC 330 Makhachev vs Garry fight could therefore mark another major chapter in his career, while his comments suggest the Russian already has an eye on how many chapters remain.