Story byMike Bohn, MMA JunkieSat, December 27, 2025 at 2:30 PM UTC·2 min readThe UFC was hoping to kick off the Paramount+ era with an Islam Makhachev headliner, but the timeline wasn't feasible. UFC welterweight champion Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC), who won the belt with a unanimous decision over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 on Nov. 15, was approached by the company brass about making a nine-week turnaround from his previous fight to defend the belt. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAccording to Makhachev, he presented the opportunity in early December about compete at UFC 324, which goes down Jan. 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
