Makhachev Confirms August Return Plan

Islam Makhachev has confirmed he will be ready to return to the Octagon in August, with Ian Machado Garry identified as the frontrunner for his first welterweight title defence following a hand injury that delayed the champion's initial plans.

"Right after here I'm going to the camp and I don't know: August, I will be ready. A lot of contenders, but No. 1 is Ian Machado Garry and we have still a couple more who want to take the belt, but I don't give it to no one,” Makhachev

Makhachev claimed the welterweight title at UFC 322 last December with a victory over Jack Della Maddalena, adding a second divisional title to his lightweight gold and cementing his status as one of the UFC's most dominant champions across the sport's recent history. A hand injury subsequently pushed back his first defence, but the August timeline suggests the recovery is progressing on schedule.

Garry's position as number one ranked welterweight has been built through a consistent run of performances that have kept him in the title conversation without yet delivering the defining opportunity his record warrants. Makhachev naming him directly as the primary target is the clearest indication yet that the Irishman's wait for a championship shot is approaching its end.