Islam Makhachev‘s move to welterweight was intended to make Dana White‘s life easier—new champion, new matches, and a hungry division. Instead, as soon as the Dagestani grabbed the belt, things turned messy. Three contenders scored brutal finishes, a past champion quietly requested another shot, and an unbeaten star waited for his call.

The noise should have provided clarity, but it instead created gridlock. In the midst of it all, the UFC is looking for a champion it can’t quite place—gunning for Kamaru Usman while a wave of rising welterweights keeps crashing the conversation. That’s the tension Paul Felder pointed out, because in his eyes, the division may already have the solution Dana White is pretending not to see.

Paul Felder names the two contenders who should fix the Islam Makhachev problem

Felder did not bother mincing words on the Fight CAT YouTube channel. “Ian Garry just beat Belal; Morales beat Sean Brady; Prates beat Leon. There are guys ready and willing to fight… and they want that belt.” He even mentioned how hungry the young killers are to eliminate each other while they wait.

“Morales already said, ‘If I have to fight Prates before I get the title shot, no problem.'” For the UFC veteran, that kind of hunger is just as important as a résumé. And while he acknowledged Islam Makhachev’s interest in Kamaru Usman, UFC legend Chael Sonnen earlier made it clear that the former champion was banging the table for it.

“Usman has mentioned it, but he hasn’t demanded it,” Chael Sonnen said, repeating his annoyance that the room’s biggest star is also the quietest. Meanwhile, Ian Garry‘s triumph over Belal Muhammad, no matter how boring as many critics claimed, was a victory over one of the toughest puzzles in the division.

And Morales? Young, unbeaten, and finishing the kind of contenders most guys ignore until the rankings compel them to go one-on-one. So when Paul Felder was asked by Michael Bisping who deserves the next shot, the UFC icon stated unequivocally on the Fight Cat interview that Morales or Ian Garry should be considered for the next shot, finally giving Dana White a clear answer on who to go for next.

He said, “Based on merit… it should be Morales or Ian Garry.” Two unbeaten contenders. Two new matchups. Two guys who genuinely want to be the champion. More importantly, two fighters who scored the kind of violent wins that shift conversations overnight. In fact, another UFC analyst recently explained why Michael Morales may prove to be a real thorn in Islam Makhachev’s title reign.

Michael Morales to pose serious problems for Makhachev

For Dominick Cruz, the moment Michael Morales‘ name is raised, the entire discussion around Islam Makhachev changes. Cruz pointed to Morales’ size, explosiveness, and strange, almost gymnast-like movement that “doesn’t make sense” for a welterweight finishing top contenders as he ripped through Sean Brady in a round. He said, “You could give Morales a title shot. I’ve seen that guy in the gym, and there’s things about him that don’t make sense.”

Cruz feels this is precisely why Morales would force Makhachev into unknown territory. The undefeated fighter frequently wins exchanges before technique ever comes into play, using power and a closing speed at distance that few fighters can prepare for. But against the Dagestani phenom, a southpaw who dismantles opponents step by step, he’d have to prove whether his athleticism can withstand elite pressure.

And that contrast is what Cruz wants to see most. He admitted that there are other choices, including Prates, Garry, and the returning Shavkat Rakhmonov, but Morales stands out for one reason: no one fights like him. As Cruz expressed it, he has “Yoel Romero-like” explosions without the wrestling pedigree, a combination that makes him difficult to ground and predict.