UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev revealed his ideal retirement plans for when he finally decides to walk away from MMA.
At age 34 and in the prime of his mixed martial arts career, Makhachev is unlikely to retire anytime soon, even if UFC commentator Joe Rogan thinks the end could be coming sooner than some believe.
That being said, when Makhachev does end up hanging up his gloves, he has already laid out the ideal situation for his retirement.
Islam Makhachev Wants to Retire in Russia
According to Red Corner MMA, a Russian news outlet covering mixed martial arts, Makhachev’s ideal retirement situation would be laying down his gloves in his native country.
“‘I want to put the gloves down in Moscow.’ Islam Makhachev dreams of retiring in Russia in front of his home crowd. Islam said he wants the final fight of his career to take place in Russia, where he receives massive support from his people. ‘I want to finish my career in Russia and put my gloves down in the Octagon in Moscow,’ Islam concluded,'” wrote Red Corner MMA on X.
Islam said he wants the final fight of his career to take place in Russia, where he receives massive support from his people.
“I want to finish my career in
The UFC has not held an event in Russia since UFC Fight Night: Magomedsharipov vs. Kattar in November 2019, and there are no immediate plans to hold one anytime soon.
That being said, given Makhachev’s status as one of the sport’s all-time greats, perhaps a personal request to UFC president Dana White from Makhachev to head back to Russia could be what it takes to hold another event there.
Islam Makhachev Defends Belt at UFC 330
This Saturday night at UFC 330, Makhachev defends the UFC welterweight title for the first time when he takes on Ian Machado Garry. Makhachev is a big favorite to defend his belt, which makes sense given that he has won 16 fights in a row and is the top P4P fighter in the sport.
This should be a fantastic fight between two of the best welterweights in the world, regardless of how it ends up playing out. But should he beat Machado Garry, it will be interesting to see if Rogan’s prediction ends up happening.
Islam Makhachev Reveals Ideal UFC Retirement Plans