Islam Makhachev is not going anywhere, despite speculation to the contrary. Leading up to his UFC 330 fight against Ian Machado Garry, Makhachev stated he plans to "stay here for more years" to build an "unbeatable" legacy. This comes after his mentor, Khabib Nurmagomedov, retired after only three lightweight title defenses, which may have fueled the rumors about Makhachev's own future. Makhachev is currently the number one pound-for-pound fighter in MMA and is a heavy favorite against Machado Garry. However, UFC legend Charles Oliveira believes Ian Machado Garry has the skills to defeat Makhachev at UFC 330.
Sources (10)
We summarise the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work.
- Islam Makhachev denies retirement rumors leading into UFC 330: ‘We’re staying here for more years’ (Yahoo Sports)
- Alistair Overeem Believes Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing Push Could Change Boxing for the Worse (LowKick MMA)
- Alistair Overeem Targets Boxing Return, Names Francis Ngannou and Rico Verhoeven as Foes (LowKick MMA)
- Islam Makhachev denies retirement rumors leading into UFC 330: ‘We’re staying here for more years’ (MMA Mania)
- Bo Nickal set to share card with Khamzat Chimaev after previously claiming he’d ‘ragdoll’ him (Bloody Elbow)
- Uros Medic cracks the top 10, Navajo Stirling climbs 3 spots as rankings update after UFC Belgrade (Bloody Elbow)
- Shock announcement: UFC fighter found dead (Frontkick Online)
- Reports: Noche UFC gets a PERFECT main event (Frontkick Online)
- Allan Nascimento: UFC fighter dead at 34 after apparent heart attack (Yahoo Sports)
- UFC Legend Says Ian Machado Garry Can Beat Islam Makhachev (Yahoo Sports)
Split from that day's roundup, so the sources listed are the full set behind the whole edition rather than this story alone.
This story ran in the August 4, 2026 edition of the daily show.