Islam Makhachev has no plans to retire soon, but would do so if Khabib Nurmagomedov told him to.

Islam Makhachev will have much to prove in his move up to 170 pounds later tonight (Sat., Nov. 15, 2025) at UFC 322 LIVE on ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Madison Square Garden in New York City,

In the main event, Islam Makhachev will make a long-awaited jump to 170 pounds, where he will challenge welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena. A victory for Makhachev would tie Anderson Silva’s record with 16 consecutive UFC wins and become the latest fighter to win belts in multiple divisions, having previously held the lightweight title.

Islam Makhachev is officially a welterweight after making weight for his UFC 322 title shot against Jack Della Maddalena.

UFC veteran argues Islam Makhachev vs Ilia Topuria is the true biggest fight, overshadowing Jon Jones vs Alex Pereira.

Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis haven’t always seen eye to eye, and that trend continues ahead of Saturday’s UFC 322 event.

Islam Makhachev believes Khabib Nurmagomedov broke Conor McGregor's mind, and that's why he doesn't see the Irishman ever making a return to the UFC.

Earlier this year, Makhachev set the record for most lightweight title defenses in UFC history with four straight after he stopped Renato Moicano at UFC 311 in January. After that, there were rumors of a superfight with then-featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, but Makhachev wanted his own opportunity to move up and pursue a second belt.