For months, UFC fans have been waiting for an update on Islam Makhachev‘s next fight. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like the Dagestani has much more information than everyone else.

The UFC welterweight champion hasn’t competed since November, when he moved up and defeated Jack Della Maddalena to win his second title. Many expected him to recover quickly after that fight because he came out of it unscathed.

Instead, the division has spent the better part of the year sitting in limbo while contenders wait for the UFC to make a move. Now, speaking to UFC on TNT Sports while attending the Champions League final, Islam Makhachev once again pointed toward August, although he didn’t exactly sound convinced that anything has been finalized.

“Right after here, I’m going to the camp, and I don’t know,” Makhachev said when asked about his return. “August, August. I will be ready.”

Fans are becoming increasingly frustrated because of this uncertainty. The champion certainly has a date in mind for when he will be ready to fight, but there is still no official opponent, contract, or event attached to it.

However, while Islam Makhachev wouldn’t fully commit to a name, he did reveal who currently sits at the top of the contender list.

“There are a lot of contenders, but number one is Ian Garry,” Makhachev explained. “And we have still a couple more who want to take the belt, but I don’t give no one.”

That’s probably the strongest indication yet that Ian Machado Garry remains the frontrunner. The Irish contender has spent months actively advocating for the fight and previously hinted that he had received a call from the UFC about a title shot. However, since then, everything has gone quiet.

There has been no formal announcement, and no date has been announced, so ‘The Future’ is still waiting for the opportunity that many believe he has already earned.

At various points, Makhachev was linked to several different opponents. A super bout versus Ilia Topuria seemed to be all set for the UFC White House card until Dana White confirmed Makhachev was dealing with an injury. Then there was speculation of a return during International Fight Week at UFC 329. That didn’t happen either.

At this point, it’s hard to imagine the Dagestani phenom fighting anyone else. The champion himself appears to view Garry as the leading contender, while the majority of the division’s other significant stars are either booked, injured, or coming off losses.

The only real mystery left isn’t who Islam Makhachev wants to fight. It’s when the UFC finally decides to make it official, as fight fans are surely getting impatient.

Fight fans go off on Islam Makhachev for such prolonged inactivity

As soon as Islam Makhachev once again floated August as a possible return date, fans wasted no time expressing their frustration. After all, this is a champion who many believe took little damage in his decisive win over Jack Della Maddalena last November.

As a result, an increasing number of fans simply don’t understand why the wait has taken so long. “Sick of fighters fighting once a year. He took 0 damage against Jack Della Maddalena; he should’ve been back sooner,” one fan wrote. Another added, “This is f—— ridiculous. He didn’t even get punched in his last fight.”

Others focused less on the inactivity itself and more on the constantly shifting timeline. Over the past several months, the Dagestani phenom has been linked to June, July, and now August, leading many fans to joke that they’ll believe the fight when they actually see him in the cage.

“How many lies can he make up till August?” one fan posted. Another mocked the latest update by writing, “So it was June, then July, now August? See you in October.” A third fan wasn’t buying the schedule either, commenting, “October or November it is. Dude is too inactive.”

Still, not everyone was complaining. While some fans are clearly tired of waiting, many are simply eager for the thrilling matchup itself to become official. Just the idea of seeing Islam Makhachev finally defend his title against Ian Garry was enough to generate excitement.

“@iangarryMMA Lock in. Let’s go! ☘️🖤,” one supporter wrote. Another summed up the mood among the more optimistic side of the fanbase: “Let’s gooo, Islam vs Garry banger fight.”

Fans aren’t necessarily upset about the opponent anymore. Islam Makhachev has now all but confirmed ‘The Future’ as the frontrunner. What they’re simply tired of is waiting for an announcement that feels like it should have come months ago.

Until Dana White or the UFC officially announces the bout, every timeline update from the champion is likely to be welcomed with equal parts excitement, skepticism, and impatience. And to be fair, they cannot be blamed for it.