Change of plans? Undefeated prospect makes enigmatic post and suggests duel with Islam Makhachev.

Michael Morales backstage at the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.

The future of one of the UFC's most competitive divisions still doesn't seem 100% defined. With Islam Makhachev reigning at the top of the welterweight division (up to 77,1 kg) after his victory against Jack Della Maddalena , several fighters have publicly argued for the right to compete with the Russian in his first title defense. Among the candidates, perhaps few are figures as intimidating as Michael Morales . The undefeated young fighter ignited a spark among fans by posting a rather curious image on his Instagram stories last Tuesday (3).

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Without writing any sentence, the Ecuadorian posted a montage in which he was facing off against Makhachev. Through the emojis used in the post, it is possible to conclude that the fighter was talking about the possibility of a contract for a duel with the Russian being signed.

Michael Morales just posted an edit of him facing off with Islam Makhachev on IG 👀👀

“🤫✍🏽🔥” pic.twitter.com/x7OaQsUPDF

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 4, 2026

Undefeated throughout his 19 fights, Morales recently faced controversy after some news outlets mistakenly identified an old amateur MMA submission loss as a professional bout. At the time, the misunderstanding was enough to catch Makhachev's attention. He even stated that the Ecuadorian would need to be submitted again to leave no doubt about the end of his undefeated streak.

Several names are vying to challenge Makhachev.

Islam Makhachev dueling against JackDella Maddalena. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.

To solidify his position as the number one contender, Morales will need to sideline some of the big names in the division. Initially, Kamaru Usman emerged as the most likely possibility, given the Nigerian Nightmare's and the Russian's desire to face each other, as well as the strong influence of Ali Abdelaziz, their manager. Later, the former champion himself acknowledged that the idea hadn't been well received by the UFC.

More recently, Ian Garry has been in the spotlight after traveling to Georgia to sharpen his grappling skills and question the champion for seemingly refusing to face him on the originally planned date. With the Ecuadorian entering the equation, the next opponent for the world's pound-for-pound leader will be decided by the details.

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