Ian Garry or Michael Morales? Who will face welterweight kingpin Islam Makhachev next? That question has MMA fans buzzing. After becoming a two-division champion last year at UFC 322, Makhachev went out of action. However, last month, Dana White put an end to all speculation and confirmed that the Russian star will return in “August” to defend his title. Still, White did not announce his next opponent, but recently, MMA analysts leaked an update from a UFC “insider.”

Analyst Alan Jouban recently joined ‘The Bonfire’ show on YouTube with veteran journalist Mike Bohn, and the duo discussed several upcoming UFC fight cards. But their conversation quickly shifted to Makhachev’s next fight. Jouban shared that when he was at the UFC Mexico City event (UFC Fight Night 268), the UFC driver casually leaked insider information to him while driving him somewhere.

UFC driver leaks who will face Islam Makhachev next

“I’ll tell you some insider info,” Alan Jouban said. “It doesn’t really do much at this point because this is a couple of weeks ago. But when I was in Mexico City, my driver picked me up from the airport, the UFC driver, and we’re talking, and he goes, you know, this guy, Michael Morales, you know? I was like, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. He goes, he’s fighting Islam. I go, why do you say that? He goes, he told us, he was here. He was talking to the boss. I go, OK, well, we’ll see.”

Later, Jouban recalled another incident at the UFC Mexico City event, where Morales was attending and enjoying the show. Then, when the broadcaster suddenly zoomed the camera on Morales, he showed a “picture” of Islam Makhachev on his phone, which many, including Jouban, assumed was a hint that the Ecuadorian star could be next to face Makhachev.

Even analysts like former UFC champ Michael Bisping contest that Morales should be Makhachev’s next opponent, and it makes sense. The Ecuadorian fighter has remained undefeated in his UFC career with a perfect 19-0 record. Over his nearly decade-long MMA journey, Morales has defeated opponents at every level, from regional competitors to international contenders.

In the UFC, he defeated seasoned fighters such as Neil Magny, Jake Matthews, and Max Griffin, which propelled the Ecuadorian into the top five rankings. Notably, Morales scored one of his biggest wins on the same night the Dagestani native defeated Jack Della Maddalena for the Welterweight title at UFC 322, when he beat Sean Brady on the undercard.

Still, UFC color commentator Jon Anik feels otherwise.

Jon Anik believes Ian Garry deserves a shot at Makhachev

“Sometimes I just throw my hands up and wonder what is the internal promotional metric, or the driving force that would give Ian Machado Garry this title shot as opposed to Michael Morales is,” Jon Anik said via MMA Junkie. “Is it a matchup thing? Do they maybe make more money if one guy is the champion? I don’t know the extent Ian Machado Garry moves the needle opposed to Michael Morales.

I think, straight meritocracy … I just feel like Makhachev vs. Machado Garry is the fight… it’s a fascinating stylistic matchup as well.”

As it stands, the No. 2 contender currently blocks Michael Morales’ path. Last year, after winning at UFC Qatar, ‘The Future’ defeated former champion Belal Muhammad and boosted his ranking, making him one of the most desirable opponents for the Dagestani champ.

On top of that, Garry has thrown verbal jabs at Makhachev, building their rivalry and selling it like Conor vs. Khabib 2.0, which fits perfectly since Garry hails from Ireland while Makhachev hails from Dagestan.

For the potential fight, Garry has also started sharpening his wrestling skills on the mats to challenge Makhachev’s Sambo. However, Makhachev’s manager has already ruled out ‘The Future,’ hinting that Makhachev’s next fight will be “much bigger” and “the biggest fight” for the UFC in the days to come.

So, who could draw bigger attention in the UFC right now than Conor McGregor or Ilia Topuria? Maybe someone who also called out Makhachev a few months ago. But so far, Dana White and Co. have not confirmed anything. One thing is clear: the UFC these days mostly focuses on entertainment-heavy fights.