The best fighter in the world is starting to think about the finish line. Islam Makhachev said Friday that his next UFC welterweight title defense will be "one of the last" fights of his career.

"My next fight is one of the last in my career," Makhachev, 35, wrote on X. "They say Prates is too dangerous for me and Morales is too good for me. So I want to face the best of them and prove to the world once again who is the best."

Makhachev (29-1) is expected to meet the winner of the Jan. 30 interim title fight between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales in Toronto. He will observe Ramadan in February and early March and plans to return in the second quarter of 2027.

Waiting on a true contender

UFC CEO Dana White said earlier this month that Makhachev had been lined up for Jan. 30 but chose to wait for the interim winner instead. Makhachev has said he wants the UFC to settle on a real No. 1 contender first.

He pointed out that Prates recently lost to Ian Machado Garry, a fighter Makhachev already beat. "Just let them fight and we will figure out who is the real challenger," he said.

A historic run

The longtime teammate of unbeaten legend Khabib Nurmagomedov had not talked in detail about the end of his career before now.

Makhachev won his first UFC title at lightweight by submitting Charles Oliveira in October 2022. He moved up and took the welterweight belt from Jack Della Maddalena in November 2025.

His first defense came against Machado Garry in August. That win was his 17th in a row, the longest winning streak in UFC history.