Colby Covington Says Islam Makhachev Should Retire From UFC

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Colby Covington UFC Islam Makhachev

Former UFC fighter Colby Covington believes that UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev should just retire from the UFC.

Makhachev recently came out and said that he only has limited time left in MMA, saying that his upcoming title defense next year against the winner of the UFC 336 co-main event between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales for the interim UFC welterweight title will be one of his last fights.

The fact that Makhachev already seemingly has one fought out the door makes Covington feel like he should just step away now if he’s already feeling this way.

Colby Covington Not Sure Islam Makhachev Fights Again

Speaking to Submission Radio, Covington openly questioned whether or not Makhachev will actually fight again considering his recent comments.

“He might not even ever fight again. When you say a comment like that and you’re half-foot out, half-foot in, you probably should just leave now. You shouldn’t come back to the Octagon. Honestly, that’s probably a negotiation tactic, I’ll be honest. Maybe that’s what he’s publicly negotiating with the UFC, like, ‘Hey, the next one’s going to be the last, retirement. But if you don’t give me enough money, I’ll just retire early,’” Covington said.

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Colby Covington questions whether Islam Makhachev will fight again, suggesting his retirement comments could be part of negotiations with the UFC.

“He might not even ever fight again. When you say a comment like that and you’re half-foot out, half-foot in, you probably should

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1:43 am · 2 Nov 2026

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How Many Fights Does Islam Makhachev Have Left in MMA?

Based on his recent comments, it feels like Makhachev doesn’t have much time left in MMA, and his next title fight against the winner of Prates vs. Morales could truly be the last one.

The fact that Makhachev didn’t want to fight in January at UFC 336 against Prates is proof enough that he doesn’t feel like he has much time left in the sport of MMA, which is disappointing given he is one of the greatest MMA fighters on the planet.

But given he has accomplished almost everything that there is to do in this sport, it’s fair that he is considering walking away on top, as it usually doesn’t get any better once you get to a certain age, as your chin starts to break after taking so many years of punishment from having so many fights inside the Octagon.