The UFC welterweight division has had fans buzzing since last November, when Islam Makhachev snagged the title. He took down Jack Della Maddalena in the blockbuster UFC 322 main event, becoming one of the rare fighters to hold two belts and instantly shaking up the division. Since then, Kamaru Usman’s name has been everywhere, with Makhachev openly saying he wants the former welterweight king for his first title defense. But now, the latest buzz suggests a new name could be next in line.

The story took a twist when Makhachev unexpectedly called out fourth-ranked contender Michael Morales as his preferred next opponent. The move seems to have stalled momentum toward a showdown with Kamaru Usman, at least for now. With speculation running wild and Makhachev’s next opponent still unknown, top welterweight Carlos Prates recently revealed that the knockout artist will step into the Octagon with the champion next.

Who is next for Islam Makhachev?

“I saw on the internet that if it’s not Kamaru fighting at Islam, they’re probably going to put Morales, you know, because they’ve started trash-talking and things like that. Yeah, I’m really down to fight Jack Della Maddalena or Morales, but I think Morales is going to fight for the belt. I don’t know what’s happening with Kamaru. I don’t know if he’s got an injury or something like that,” Carlos Prates told Real MMA Today in his latest outing.

The tension between Islam Makhachev and Michael Morales flared last week after Tapology briefly changed Morales’ undefeated status following a loss to Ricardi Centeno in an exhibition bout similar to The Ultimate Fighter format. The website later restored Morales’ 19-0 unbeaten record, which fueled the rivalry between the two fighters.

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Undefeated Morales lit up Madison Square Garden by knocking out Sean Brady in the first round on the UFC 322 undercard. On the same night, Islam Makhachev controlled Jack Della Maddalena for a full 20 minutes, setting the stage for their emerging rivalry.

“Two, three years in Tijuana and you’ll learn how to knock someone out,” Morales threw shade at Islam Makhachev’s heavyweight ground game on X.

The rivalry between Makhachev and Morales has reached a boiling point. The Russian star is expected to return to the Octagon this summer, around May or June, after Ramadan. The question now is whether Morales will hit pause on his momentum to wait for Makhachev, or if Dana White and the UFC have another plan in store.

The UFC boss gets honest on a Makhachev vs. Kamaru Usman matchup

This year will be pivotal for Dana White and the UFC as they set up fights fans have long been waiting for. The promotion looks ready to make it happen while maximizing their Paramount+ broadcasting deal, which is expected to bring in $1.1 billion annually.

Meanwhile, the UFC faces the unique challenge of organizing its upcoming White House event, aiming to become the first promotion to host a sports event at the presidential residence.

On top of that, top fighters such as Islam Makhachev, Ilia Topuria, and Khamzat Chimaev will all return around the same period, creating another layer of logistical and competitive challenges for the promotion. Dana White recently addressed these hurdles while speaking to Complex News about the possibility of Makhachev facing Kamaru Usman.

“I don’t know. We’ve gotta see how some of this stuff plays out, you know what I’m saying? See when Topuria is coming back and what he wants to do. Obviously, in a perfect world, he fights one of the two fighting for the title right now. And Chimaev—when’s he coming back? There’s still a lot of things that have to play out before I can decide who fights who.”

Even now, the UFC boss has stayed quiet on who will be Islam Makhachev’s next opponent. Who do you think would be the perfect matchup for the Russian star? Share your thoughts below.