“Could Be”: Dana White Teases Michael Morales vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov

The welterweight division remains one of the most active in the UFC. The division’s champion, Islam Makhachev, is targeting his second title defense against the No. 1-ranked contender, Carlos Prates.

Meanwhile, Michael Morales, ranked No. 3, has called for a title eliminator against Shavkat Rakhmonov to keep the division moving. Dana White has now dropped further hints about the potential matchup.

Dana White Gives Green Signal to Michael Morales vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov

Earlier, the Ecuadorian star sent a clear message to the division, calling out Islam Makhachev for choosing an “easier opponent.”

Morales also expressed his willingness to fight Shavkat Rakhmonov, who has returned to training after recovering from knee injuries. Rakhmonov responded with a “19-0 vs. 19-0” hint, pointing to their same undefeated records.

When asked whether the back-and-forth between the two undefeated fighters could lead to an actual fight, Dana White said, “Could be. We actually have a lot of cool stuff going on right now. We got a lot of good announcements coming. We're going to have a good January/February."

Ian Garry Accuses Morales of Avoiding a Fight

As the welterweight division continues to move forward, Irishman Ian Garry is also looking to work his way back into title contention after losing to Islam Makhachev in August.

In a social media post, Garry mocked Morales for being inactive and for avoiding a fight against him, despite the UFC reportedly having scheduled a date for the matchup.

Morales last fought in November 2025 but remains on an eight-fight winning streak. The Ecuadorian believes he has done enough to earn a title shot.

As a result, Morales dismissed Garry as a potential opponent in his social media post. With both Morales and Shavkat seemingly agreeing to the matchup, the only thing left may be for the UFC to finalize the paperwork.