Islam Makhachev has steadily built a legacy as one of the most dominant figures in mixed martial arts today. The Dagestani fighter is now chasing a new goal after making his move to the welterweight division. But with all his success, one question has remained: how much longer does he plan to keep fighting?

Well, former UFC fighter Josh ‘The Punk’ Thomson feels he has a few more fights left in him, particularly in his new division. Makhachev sat down with Demetrious Johnson for a chat on his YouTube channel before his UFC 311 fight. While speaking to him, Makhachev gave a hint about his retirement plans, and it didn’t involve his age.

He said, “You know what my opinion is… it’s not like records; it’s not like age. My opinion is, I go to the gym, and I told you, all the kids want to show something to me. And when I understand I cannot stop the people, I cannot, like, compete with the young guys, then I’m thinking about retired. But right now, it’s not time to talk about this because I know I can do more, and I improve (in) all my fights.” 

But Thomson feels it will all come down to his future in the welterweight division. If the soon-to-be former lightweight champion can win the title, he will only defend his title once before hanging up the gloves. Thomson, while speaking on his Weighing In podcast, also shared the opponents Makhachev would be interested in fighting.

He said, “I think he’ll defend it one time. And I also believe that it’s probably gonna be like a Shavkat. I think it will maybe Sean Brady if Sean Brady gets past Ian Garry. There’s talking that they’re scheduled to fight next is Sean Brady and Ian Garry. So, if he gets past him, yeah, I think if it ends up being an Ian Garry, I don’t know if he’ll do it, I think he’ll just probably be like “Okay, I’m good”. You know, I think he wants to fight guys that want to fight, not guys that run around.” 

Makhachev is currently 33 years old and gearing up to take on Jack Della Maddalena for the title. His longtime coach, Javier Mendez, is excited for the clash but has yet to begin the training camp. The legendary coach has seen the Dagestani fighter dominate the lightweight division with four title defenses under his belt. But how long can we see him dominate his opponents inside the Octagon? According to the legendary coach, there might be hardly two years left in his illustrious career.

Mendez feels Islam Makhachev might announce his retirement by the age of 35

Islam Makhachev has mirrored the exact path of his mentor Khabib Nurmagomedov. He has not only captured the UFC lightweight title but also asserted a level of dominance rarely seen in the division. However, just like Khabib, Makhachev’s journey in the Octagon might be cut short sooner than expected.

According to his longtime coach, Javier Mendez, the reigning champ could hang up his gloves within the next couple of years. Mendez feels that 35 is the magic number for most of the Dagestani fighters, and they find it tough to compete after that in the professional setup.

Mendez, while speaking on Submission Radio, said, “He’s going to probably do what Khabib [Nurmagomedov] did and retire at 35. Well, Khabib did it a lot earlier, but I think 35 is the magic number for these guys. They have that in their head, that 35 is the cutoff point. Some will go over, but I think Islam is already set financially; he’s done really well with his money, so I think it will probably be lights out after 35.” 

Every professional fighter goes through a phase where he has to announce his retirement from the sport. However, for Makhachev and his fans, there is still some unfinished business left inside the Octagon, particularly in his new division.

As of now, he is only focused on winning the welterweight belt and not on announcing his retirement. When do you think Islam Makhachev will call it quits on his illustrious career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.