Islam Makhachev quashed the rumors ahead of UFC 330: “That’s not true.”

Islam Makhachev categorically denied reports that he would retire from professional fighting after UFC 330. The welterweight champion assured everyone that he still has many goals ahead of him and has no intention of hanging up his gloves just yet.

In the main event of UFC 330, the Dagestani fighter will make his first title defense in the welterweight division. His opponent will be Ian Machado Garry, whom many experts consider one of the toughest opponents Makhachev has faced in his career so far. Despite this, the champion has no plans to end his MMA career.

Makhachev: “I want to set more records”

In an interview with MMA Junkie, Islam Makhachev addressed the rumors that have been circulating on social media in recent days. The Dagestani fighter categorically denied reports suggesting that he would retire after UFC 330.

– Someone spread false information that I’d retire after this fight. That’s not true. I want to keep fighting. Do you know what it feels like to stay in shape all the time and keep getting better as a fighter? It’s incredible. You won’t find anything like it outside of this sport. I want to keep fighting, break more records, and stay here for many more years.

Makhachev makes no secret of the fact that one of his biggest goals is to make his mark in UFC history. He is currently among the fighters with the longest winning streaks, and he may soon take the lead in that category on his own.

When asked if he dreams of reaching the milestone of 20 consecutive wins, he replied with his characteristic smile:

– Is twenty enough? We need to make sure no one beats that score later.

The Dagestani admitted, however, that he doesn’t worry about statistics on a day-to-day basis. As he emphasized, records are a nice bonus, but the most important thing is to be properly prepared for upcoming bouts.

– You guys probably know all those numbers better than I do. I just need to focus on training and defend my title.

If Makhachev defeats Ian Machado Garry, he will not only make his first welterweight title defense but also take another step toward going down in UFC history as one of the greatest fighters of all time.