Islam Makhachev’s summer path looks locked, and his team is speaking like the paperwork is done and only the public announcement is left.
Ali Abdelaziz says Makhachev has accepted a welterweight No. 1 contender main event for July during International Fight Week. The opponent name has not been announced yet, but the message from camp was direct and confident.
Speaking to TMZ Sports, Abdelaziz said:
“Islam got offered a different fight at Welterweight to be the main event. And Islam said, ‘Hey, let’s do this in July.’”
This comes after weeks of noise around Islam Makhachev vs Ilia Topuria tension and wider White House card reshuffling, where several major ideas were discussed publicly but never finalized.
Abdelaziz also explained how fast the Topuria option disappeared:
“I got called about Ilia to fight Islam. It was middle of the day, Islam was sleeping, and I was excited about it. And after that, I got called back, they said, ‘Nevermind, the fight is not gonna happen.’ Before even I talk with Islam.”
He continued:
“And what I know is there’s so many ways to turn down a fight. ‘I’m gonna fight Francis Ngannou, give me $50 million.’ Right?”
July Is Active, Topuria Still Looms
Even with July effectively booked, Abdelaziz made it clear the Topuria fight remains important business for later in the year.
He told :
“I don’t blame anyone for trying to make the most money they can because I believe Ilia and Islam is the biggest fight the UFC can make. I think this fight should happen this year.”
That lines up with current matchmaking pressure at the top end, where title plans, timing, and money all collide at once. Similar pressure is showing up in nearby contender traffic too, including Ian Machado Garry’s title push and other welterweight claimants.
On Makhachev’s condition, Abdelaziz said:
“He has some stuff going on, you know, Dana speak about it. He has some stuff going on, but I can tell you this: if the [Topuria vs. Gaethje] fight is awful in June and Islam even had one leg, he would have took the fight.”
He added:
“But, in a way, Islam already have a fight in the summer. He have a Welterweight No. 1 contender match against someone. So, it’s a done deal already, and UFC will announce it probably soon.”
July now carries real stakes for the welterweight picture, and once UFC confirms the matchup, the division moves from speculation to action.
