Ariel Helwani recognizes Islam Makhachev’s desire to defend his welterweight championship against Kamaru Usman and does not contest the notion that ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is among the best 170-pound champions in UFC history.
However, from 2022 to 2025, Usman has won just one out of his four fights. Meanwhile, the No. 2-ranked welterweight contender Ian Machado Garry fought Shavkat Rakhmonov on short notice in 2024 and lost, but then bounced back. In 2025, the Irishman won on short notice against Carlos Prates and recently defeated former champion Belal Muhammad at UFC Qatar.