The welterweight division is in absolute chaos right now. Islam Makhachev just became the 11th UFC fighter to hold championships in two divisions, tying Anderson Silva’s legendary 16-fight win streak. Instead of basking in the glory, he’s sparked a war of words that has the entire MMA world divided.
On Thursday night’s Ringside Report MMA, Dave Simon, Fred Garcia, and AJ D’Alesio broke down the explosive fallout from UFC 322 and previewed this weekend’s stacked UFC Qatar card headlined by Arman Tsarukyan vs Dan Hooker.
Islam Makhachev’s Masterclass at UFC 322
“Very impressive win from Islam Makhachev,” Dave said, acknowledging that both he and Fred picked Jack Della Maddalena to win. “AJ picked Islam. He’s also impressed. Just a very one-sided performance from Islam.”
The numbers don’t lie. Islam dominated Della Maddalena for 25 minutes at Madison Square Garden, winning 50-45 on all three scorecards. He took down the Australian welterweight champion at will, controlled him on the mat, and made one of the most dangerous strikers in the division look utterly helpless.
“It’s rarefied air in the UFC to be able to do that,” Dave emphasized. “And to be so dominant against a legitimate contender, he didn’t pick off an older champion. He didn’t pick off a lame duck champion. He went after a young, tough competitor in Jack Della Maddalena, and he made it look easy.”
As Islam himself said in his post-fight press conference, he trains very hard to make it look easy. And that’s evident in every performance from the Dagestani team.
The Javier Mendez Legacy
The conversation naturally turned to the greatness of Islam’s coach, Javier Mendez, and the entire AKA (American Kickboxing Academy) team out in San Jose.
“You think about Javier Mendez as a striking coach, as an MMA coach, and the success that he’s had throughout the years, it’s hard to say that he’s not the greatest at this point,” Dave said. “The championships under Javier Mendez and the AKA team… obviously a lot of these guys are doing training in Dagestan, but they all have Javier Mendez there as their coach, always in their corner.”
Dave ran through the incredible roster of champions Mendez has coached over the years: Josh Thomson, Josh Koscheck, John Fitch, Mike Swick, Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and now Islam Makhachev.
“It’s incredible how much success that team has had,” Dave concluded.
Fred agreed about Mendez’s legacy, noting that coaching in MMA is cyclical. “There was a time Greg Jackson was the guy, and then you have other guys,” Fred said. “But Javier Mendez, man, like you said, from Josh Koscheck, Mike Swick, John Fitch, Cain Velasquez, Daniel Cormier, so many guys. I’ve been for a long time. So no, that’s very impressive. And yeah, props to him. I don’t know if I’ll call him the greatest, but he’s definitely one of the legends of coaching.”
AJ brought up an important point about the next generation: “The guys that are behind them, being coached by both Khabib and Islam at some point, I mean, it’s only gonna get better. I mean, the game is gonna change again.”
Islam Makhachev in the GOAT Conversation
“When you’re talking about the greatest MMA fighters of all time, I think you’re gonna have to put Islam Makhachev in this conversation,” Dave stated definitively. “You look at the record now. Breaking Anderson Silva’s record of consecutive wins in the UFC, these are records we thought would never be broken. Two division champion.”
Very few fighters have achieved two-division champion status in the UFC: Daniel Cormier, Georges St-Pierre, Conor McGregor, BJ Penn, Randy Couture, Henry Cejudo, and Amanda Nunes. Now, Islam Makhachev joins that elite group.
“It’s not easy,” AJ said. “But it’s not only about the fighters, it’s like you were saying earlier, it’s about the coaches. What team has a dominant coach who is a legend in the UFC, and at the same time has their star pupils who are legends to be?”
The Kamaru Usman Controversy – Ian Garry Explodes
Here’s where things get spicy. After his dominant win, Islam Makhachev made it clear who he wants next for his first welterweight title defense: Kamaru Usman.
“If you give me the choice and ask me who I want to fight, I will take Kamaru,” Makhachev said at the UFC 322 post-fight press conference.
The problem? Kamaru Usman is 1-3 in his last four fights and is currently ranked 8th in the welterweight division. Meanwhile, young killers like Carlos Prates and Michael Morales just scored brutal knockouts on the UFC 322 card, and Shavkat Rakhmonov is waiting in the wings.
Enter Ian Machado Garry, who absolutely unleashed on the idea of Usman getting a title shot.
"Kamaru Usman is f***ng irrelevant" – Ian Garry slams Islam Makhachev’s team for choosing an easy fight
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) November 19, 2025
"Khabib and his team are very smart at choosing fights. Kamaru Usman is f*ing irrelevant in the division. No fan wants to see Islam vs Kamaru. When you’re pushing 40 years of… pic.twitter.com/9Hoo56KUGQ
“Kamaru Usman is f*ing irrelevant in the welterweight division right now,”** Garry told UFC on TNT. “Excuse my language, but it’s the fact. He’s a has-been, and yes, at one point in time, he was arguably the greatest welterweight of all time. He’s not close.”
Garry continued his verbal assault: “Khabib and his team are very smart, and they are knowledgeable at choosing fights and making interesting matchups. No fan wants to see that fight. They want to see him versus me; they want to see him versus Shavkat. They want to see Islam versus Prates and Morales. They want to see the next generation of welterweights. When you’ve got someone who is pushing 40 years of age and ranked nearly 10 in the world, he’s irrelevant.”
The Irish contender finished with a brutal assessment: “So I think that’s just Islam trying to get that 17th consecutive win against an easy opponent. Someone who was at one point in time somebody, but now is just trying to maintain relevance.”
The Case For and Against Usman
Usman does have his supporters. He recently defeated Joaquin Buckley in June, and Dana White once called him “the greatest welterweight of all time.” Both Usman and Makhachev are managed by Ali Abdelaziz, which certainly doesn’t hurt the matchmaking odds.
“I was honestly shocked Kamaru wanted to fight Islam because we’re all friends and brothers,” Abdelaziz told Michael Bisping. “But Kamaru is looking at it as competition.”
Usman himself admitted that Islam presents a terrifying challenge: “When I look at a guy like Islam, I don’t see holes, and that’s something that scares me, that causes that heartbeat to go up.”
On Thursday’s show, the crew discussed the controversy extensively.
“Who is the next challenger for Islam Makhachev?” Dave posed. “There are a lot of options. Some of them are interesting. Some of them… not so much.”
The welterweight division is absolutely loaded right now. This Saturday at UFC Qatar, Belal Muhammad faces Ian Machado Garry in a fight that could determine the next title challenger. Michael Morales and Carlos Prates both looked incredible at UFC 322. And then there’s the former champion Kamaru Usman, who at 38 years old might be getting one last shot at glory.
Ilia Topuria Blasts “Boring” Islam Makhachev
If Ian Garry’s comments weren’t enough, UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria decided to pile on with his own scathing assessment of Islam’s performance.
“Jack needs an entire camp dedicated just to wrestling. What a disappointment of a champion. You should go to Georgia to learn something,” Topuria wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “Islam, you need something you can’t train: emotion. You’re the most boring thing in this game. Every day, I’m more certain I put you to sleep.”
Topuria’s criticism centers on Islam’s wrestling-heavy style, which he finds predictable and dull. The Georgian-Spanish fighter believes he has the striking and knockout power to expose Islam’s “boring” approach.
The beef between Topuria and Makhachev has been brewing for months. Topuria vacated his featherweight title to move up to lightweight, captured the 155-pound belt by knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, and wanted to face Makhachev. But Islam moved up to welterweight instead, leaving Topuria without his desired superfight.
Now with both fighters holding gold in different divisions, the question is whether they’ll ever meet in the Octagon. Rumors suggest they could face off at the White House event in 2026, but nothing is confirmed.
“There is a high chance for both fighters to lock horns in the near future,” sources close to the matchmaking process told MMA media. “It will be interesting to see if they fight at the White House event or before.”
UFC Qatar Preview: Title Shot Implications
This Saturday afternoon (November 22), the UFC makes its debut in Qatar with a card that has massive implications for two divisions.
Main Event: Arman Tsarukyan (-575) vs Dan Hooker (+375)
“Tsarukyan is a massive favorite,” Dave noted. “He’s minus 575. Dan Hooker is plus 375.”
Arman Tsarukyan is the #2-ranked lightweight in the world and widely considered the next title challenger for Ilia Topuria. The 28-year-old Armenian has been on an absolute tear, with his only recent loss coming to Islam Makhachev back when Arman was much younger and less experienced.
Dan “The Hangman” Hooker is a 35-year-old veteran from New Zealand who’s always game for a war. He’s riding momentum after recent victories and represents a serious test for Tsarukyan’s wrestling-heavy game.
“This is a number one contender fight,” AJ said during the predictions segment. “Whoever wins this is getting a title shot.”
The crew discussed Tsarukyan’s incredible wrestling and grappling, which mirrors the Dagestani style even though Arman isn’t from that region.
“He’s one of those guys who can compete with the Dagestani fighters,” Fred observed. “His grappling is at that level.”
Co-Main Event: Belal Muhammad (+275) vs Ian Machado Garry (-375)
“Belal Muhammad is a plus 275 underdog,” Dave said. “Ian Garry is minus 375.”
This is the fight that truly divides the crew. Belal Muhammad lost his welterweight title to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315 back in May, ending his 18-fight unbeaten streak. Now he’s looking to bounce back and prove he belongs in the title conversation.
Ian Machado Garry is undefeated at 16-1 and coming off a decision win over Carlos Prates in April. The Irish contender is young, hungry, and believes he’s the future of the division.
“I think Belal wins this fight,” Dave predicted confidently. “I don’t think Ian Garry is ready for this level of grappling yet.”
Fred agreed: “Belal has been there, done that. He knows how to win these fights.”
But AJ wasn’t so sure: “Ian Garry is the real deal, man. He’s young, he’s fast, and he’s got the skills to compete with anybody.”
The betting odds heavily favor Garry, but Belal Muhammad has made a career out of proving doubters wrong. He’s a grinder who doesn’t care about being flashy or popular. He just wins fights.
“Remember the name,” Dave said, referencing Belal’s famous catchphrase. “He’s gonna remind everyone on Saturday.”
Other Notable Fights
Volkan Oezdemir vs Alonzo Menifield – A light heavyweight battle between veterans looking to stay relevant in a crowded division.
Jack Hermansson vs Myktybek Orolbai – Hermansson is fighting in a welterweight bout after typically competing at middleweight. This weight class experiment could be interesting.
Tagir Ulanbekov vs Kyoji Horiguchi – A flyweight matchup featuring the former RIZIN and Bellator champion Horiguchi making his return to the UFC.
Alex Perez vs Asu Almabayev – Another flyweight scrap with title implications down the line.
The Parlay Breakdown
AJ put together his patented team parlay for UFC Qatar:
Team AJ Parlay:
- Arman Tsarukyan (-575)
- Myktybek Orolbai (-270)
- Shamil Gaziev (+120)
- Ian Machado Garry (-275)
Potential payout: $20 turns into $97.53 at Bet99
“Listen, Shamil is 14 and 1,” AJ defended his underdog pick. “I still think coming in at the last minute for Waldo Cortes-Acosta is going to be tough, man. Was he there? Was he ready? Or is he flying in right now from wherever he is? That’s the problem, man. The jet lag and everything. It’s not going to be easy, man. I still think Shamil Gaziev.”
Dave was skeptical about the parlay, particularly the Shamil Gaziev pick, since Serghei Spivac pulled out and Gaziev is now facing Waldo Cortes-Acosta instead.
“I think your parlay’s done, AJ,” Dave said bluntly. “Just like you’re frozen.”
But AJ stuck to his guns: “No, you know what? Just leave it, leave it, leave it. Keep him on. I’m going to go with him.”
The Bigger Picture: What’s Next for Islam?
Regardless of who Islam Makhachev fights next, one thing is clear: he’s cemented himself as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history. Tying Anderson Silva’s 16-fight win streak is no small feat. Becoming a two-division champion by dominating a legitimate welterweight champion is even more impressive.
“As far as championships and longevity, very, very impressive,” Dave said. “And when you talk about the greatest MMA coaches, you’re gonna talk about Javier Mendez. You might also be talking about Khabib Nurmagomedov. And when you’re talking about the greatest MMA fighters of all time, I think you’re gonna have to put Islam Makhachev in this conversation.”
The debate about his next opponent will rage on. Should it be Kamaru Usman, as Islam wants? Should it be Ian Machado Garry if he beats Belal Muhammad? What about Shavkat Rakhmonov when he returns from injury? Or the winner of Prates vs Morales down the line?
And then there’s the elephant in the room: could Islam drop back down to 155 pounds to face Ilia Topuria and settle their beef once and for all?
“I am ready,” Makhachev said when asked about fighting Topuria. “Who is gonna be next? Let’s do this. I will make it easy.”
One thing’s for sure: the welterweight and lightweight divisions have never been more exciting, and Islam Makhachev sits at the center of it all.
Join the Conversation
What do you think? Should Islam Makhachev fight Kamaru Usman next, or is Ian Garry right that Usman is “irrelevant”? Who wins this Saturday in Qatar – Tsarukyan or Hooker? Can Belal Muhammad bounce back against Ian Garry?
The Ringside Report Network crew will be back Friday night for Wrestling Uncensored at 10 PM ET, where Dave Simon and Johnny North break down WWE’s War Games teams for Survivor Series and AEW’s Full Gear pay-per-view.
For more combat sports coverage from The Combat Sports Authority, visit RingsideReport.net and consider supporting the network at membership.ringsidereport.net.
Related Articles:
