Islam Makhachev Takes a Dig at Michael Morales Over 2017 Submission Loss
Islam Makhachev, the current UFC lightweight champion, recently made a comment about Michael Morales, referring to his 2017 submission loss in the quarterfinal of the second season of the Ecuadorian league Ultima Pelea. Makhachev stated that Morales “needs to be choked out again,” sparking a heated exchange between the two fighters.
For context, Tapology, a record-keeping website, had initially added a loss and a win to Morales’ professional MMA record earlier this month. However, they later reverted his record to a clean 19-0, classifying the two bouts from the Ultima Pelea league as exhibition matches. Tapology announced the change on Twitter, stating that they wanted to be fair and accurate in their record-keeping.
Update on the “Ultima Pelea” league in Ecuador and its impact on Michael Morales MMA record. We will reverse & classify these as exhibition. We look forward to many colorful replies on social media about how stupid we are. Thank you in advance. But above all we want to be fair…
— Tapology (@tapology) January 7, 2026
Makhachev’s comment about Morales’ 2017 loss was seen as a dig at the 26-year-old fighter. In an interview with Match TV, Makhachev said, “Morales was not undefeated a few days ago, but today he’s undefeated again. I don’t know how they removed it. I saw the cage fight—he got choked out, and then they announced it was an exhibition match. Well then, he needs to be choked out again.”
Islam Makhachev reacts to Michael Morales getting choked out.
“Morales was not undefeated a few days ago, but today he’s undefeated again. I don’t know how they removed it.
I saw the cage fight—he got choked out, and then they announced it was an exhibition match. Well then,… pic.twitter.com/cL0eA1T6bz
— MMA Pros Pick (@MMA_PROS_PICK_) January 17, 2026
Michael Morales Fires Back at Islam Makhachev
Michael Morales was quick to respond to Makhachev’s comment, referring to the Russian fighter’s sole loss in MMA, a knockout loss to Adriano Martins in 2015. Morales quipped, “Makhachev’s already been knocked out once, time to knock him out again.” Morales’ response was seen as a clever comeback, and the exchange between the two fighters has sparked a lot of interest in a potential matchup.
Cruce picante entre Makhachev y Michael Morales
Islam Makhachev ironizó sobre la polémica del récord de Morales:
️ “Hace unos días no estaba invicto y hoy sí. Lo vi ser estrangulado y luego dijeron que fue exhibición… habrá que estrangularlo otra vez”
Respuesta de… pic.twitter.com/ndYndYCgXY
— Ecuador Comunicación ️ Al día en Deportes (@EcuRadioDeporte) January 17, 2026
Potential Fight Between Makhachev and Morales
A fight between Makhachev and Morales was rumored to take place in January, but both sides declined the bout. Makhachev, who recently won the welterweight title, did not want to fight due to a short preparation time, having just fought in November. Morales, on the other hand, chose to go on vacation and rest. However, Morales has expressed interest in fighting Makhachev in the future and is currently looking to face Jack Della Maddalena in his next bout.
Michael Morales says he may fight JDM next and that a January fight with Islam was discussed but declined by both
“UFC told me about a possible fight against Jack for March or April. I think they also proposed a fight with Makhachev for January, and he didn’t want to accept… pic.twitter.com/RPwDu5qeNn
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) January 9, 2026
Makhachev is expected to make his first title defense after Ramadan 2026, and a potential fight against Morales could be a highly anticipated matchup. With both fighters looking to prove themselves as top contenders, the exchange between Makhachev and Morales has added fuel to the fire, and fans are eagerly waiting to see how this rivalry plays out in the octagon.
