Last Updated on March 24, 2026 by Pragjyoti Singh
The race for the top contender spot for the welterweight title is heating up and the likes of Ian Garry, Kamaru Usman and Michael Morales all have made their claims to be the next one to fight Islam Makhachev.
While Ian Garry claims to be the next man in line, it’s Kamaru Usman who many believe should get a shot at the UFC gold against Makhachev. Even Usman’s former opponent Jorge Masvidal now has joined the debate and gave his take on the current scenario at the 170 lbs. division,
Jorge Masvidal predicts Kamaru Usman beating Islam Makhachev
Speaking on the Death Row MMA podcast, Masvidal stated that we could soon see Usman fight for the welterweight title. ‘Gamebred’ who lost to Usman back in 2021 in a 2nd round KO loss, revealed that the only Usman fight he wanted to watch was against Islam Makhachev.
“I could see him fighting for the title, you know…I would say Makhachev, that’s the only guy I want to see him fight,” said Masvidal.
While Usman may not be the UFC’s favorite matchup for the Dagestani, the former welterweight champ was named by Makhachev himself as a potential title defense after his win against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.
Dissecting the matchup, Masvidal claimed that Usman could force Makhachev into a striking battle, even backing the ‘Nigerian Nightmare’ as the better striker between the two.
“He’s gonna have to make Makhachev strike, and I always want to see f***g, you know, a whole well-rounded grappling(fight)…Like in the JDM fight where he took him down and that’s it, you know, JDM’s not getting up. Half-guard, he’s not getting up, you know, and just held him.“
Despite Makhachev’s dominant outing against JDM, Masvidal doesn’t believe the Dagestani could pull out a similar performance against Usman.
“He’s not going to take Usman down easy, and Usman on bottom is not the easiest, you know. On the feet, I give the advantage to Usman as well,” he said.
Masvidal claimed Usman’s size advantage could also turn out to be a problem for Makhachev, even backing the 2010 NCAA Division II National Champion to give the current champ a loss.
“Obviously he has a size advantage. So I think if anybody, really, I would have to pick one guy to give Makhachev a loss at 170 or an amazing fight, it’s Usman.”
Joe Rogan wants UFC to book Kamaru Usman vs. Islam Makhachev
While all the latest reports might indicate Ian Garry as the man to face Islam Makhachev next, it’s Kamaru Usman who has been getting major support from industry veterans. Along with Masvidal, Joe Rogan too voiced support for Usman during the recent ‘JRE Fight Companion‘ for UFC London.
Rogan acknowledged Ian Garry as a legitimate contender for the welterweight title but backed Usman to fight Makahchev considering his status and his long reign as the 170 lbs champion.
“I think Ian Garry deserves it, but I also think Kamaru, like, come on, the guy’s a legend,” he said.
Rogan also pointed out Usman’s ‘sensational’ win against Joaquin Buckley last year, which came after over 3 years since his fight against Colby Covington in 2021.
“This is like, the last year he could fight, and he looked sensational against Joaquin Buckley. I want to see that fight (Makhachev vs Usman),” Rogan added.
Islam Makhachev who is nursing a hand injury currently had previously called for a fight against Usman himself.
“I said that I wanted to fight Kamaru Usman next. Although the media doesn’t believe in this fight as I can see, but in my opinion, Usman would steamroll through each of these up-and-comers like Morales, Prates, the striker (Machado Garry),” he had said in an interview.
Apart from Garry and Usman, the likes of Michael Morales and Carlos Prates are also in contention depending on how the latter’s upcoming fight against Jack Della Maddalena plays out.
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