Islam Makhachev recently added another major achievement to his career by capturing the UFC welterweight championship. The title win came after a dominant performance against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.
Now the focus has shifted to who will stand across from the champion in his first title defense.
Former interim welterweight champion Colby Covington believes the answer is clear. In his view, undefeated contender Michael Morales is the most fitting opponent available in the division right now.
Morales has quickly built a strong record in the UFC. The Ecuadorian fighter improved to 19-0 in professional MMA and 7-0 inside the promotion after stopping Sean Brady by TKO last November. His finishing ability and unbeaten streak have pushed his name into the title conversation.
Covington explained why he thinks Morales should be next in line.
“For right now, what’s on the table, I think Michael Morales makes the most sense,” Covington told MMA Junkie. “He’s undefeated, he’s from Ecuador, we need that Ecuador market, it looks good for South America, and he’s just undefeated. He’s been knocking everybody out, he’s an exciting fighter, he has some charisma, he’s a funny guy.”
Michael Morales hints that he’s signed a contract to fight Islam Makhachev 👀
“Sorry, Ian… Dana knows who really deserves the shot.”
(via @michaellmma) pic.twitter.com/CTqk0hgWfq
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 11, 2026
Welterweight title picture still developing
Several other welterweights have also shown interest in facing Makhachev.
Ian Machado Garry has publicly called for the fight, while former champion Kamaru Usman has also made it known that he wants another opportunity at the belt.
Despite those options, Covington still believes Morales stands out from the rest of the contenders. While discussing the Ecuadorian prospect, he also made it clear that his comments were strictly about the fighting side of things.
“He says some weird things. I know he does some weird things in the streets. He dances in dresses. I don’t like that. I don’t think you should be teaching the youth about being a man dancing in dresses. That’s just not manly. Let’s keep men manly, but all shenanigans aside, I think as a fighter, Michael Morales makes the most sense, and that’s the fight I’d like to see for the welterweight title against Makhachev.”
Makhachev recently revealed that he was offered another fight not long after winning the championship. The proposed matchup was for UFC 324 in January, only two months after his title victory.
The champion declined the offer because the timing was too soon after his previous bout. Makhachev later said he believed the possible opponent might have been Morales.
However, his manager Ali Abdelaziz suggested the opponent under discussion was more likely Machado Garry or Usman.
For now, the UFC has not confirmed the next challenger. As the division waits for an official announcement, Morales remains one of the names frequently mentioned in the welterweight title conversation.
Colby Covington tells me he was never offered Bo Nickal or any other fight for #UFCWhiteHouse and is “bummed” about it.
Hunter Campbell instead told him he wants to set up a fight against the winner of Gilbert Burns vs. Mike Malott in late 2026. https://t.co/cEhss13Cxh
— Mike Bohn (@MikeBohn) March 11, 2026
