Islam Makhachev continues to cement his legacy as one of the most dominant forces in MMA. The UFC lightweight champion has proven his skills against elite competitors, establishing himself as a formidable presence in the sport. But for how long is he planning to stay in the fight game? Well, the answer to this question has finally been provided by the Dagestani fighter.

Makhachev sat down with Demetrious Johnson for a chat on his YouTube channel. Who better right? ‘DJ’ retired a while back, after a dominant career, as a GOAT candidate. And so, Makhachev addressed questions about the longevity of his career. According to the UFC lightweight champion, there is no specific age for retirement in his mind. However, the moment he believes he cannot catch up with the younger generation, he will hang up his gloves and call it a day on his career.

The 33-year-old told Demetrious Johnson, “You know what my opinion is… it’s not like records; it’s not like age. My opinion is, I go to the gym, and I told you, all the kids want to show something to me. And when I understand I cannot stop the people, I cannot, like, compete with the young guys, then I’m thinking about retired. But right now, it’s not time to talk about this because I know I can do more, and I improve (in) all my fights.”

Islam Makhachev claimed the vacant lightweight title with a submission victory over Charles Oliveira at UFC 280. He successfully defended it with a decision win over Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 284 and followed it up with a knockout victory in their rematch at UFC 294. Most recently, at UFC 302, Makhachev submitted Dustin Poirier, further cementing his reign. So for now, it seems like there is no stopping the Dagestani fighter. However, his coach believes that the time to hang up the gloves would be arriving soon.

Javier Mendez talks about Islam Makhachev’s retirement

Islam Makhachev followed in Khabib Nurmagomedov‘s footsteps by clinching the lightweight belt and establishing unprecedented dominance within the division, but he could also do so with a premature retirement. According to Javier Mendez, head coach of the Dagestani at AKA, his career could come to an end in the next two years.

Speaking to Submission Radio, coach Mendez said, “He’s going to probably do what Khabib [Nurmagomedov] did and retire at 35. Well, Khabib did it a lot earlier, but I think 35 is the magic number for these guys. They have that in their head, that 35 is the cutoff point. Some will go over, but I think Islam is already set financially; he’s done really well with his money, so I think it will probably be lights out after 35.”

Makhachev, who is currently just 33 right now, will make his fourth title defense as the 155-pound champion against Arman Tsarukyan in the main event of UFC 311, the first pay-per-view of 2025. If he manages to beat the Armenian fighter, Makhachev will extend his record for the most consecutive victories in the history of the division with 14. What do you think? Will Islam Makhachev be able to pull it off, or will we get to see a new champion on the lightweight throne? Let us know in the comments.