Islam Makhachev continues to hint at a return to the octagon in July, though no opponent or event has been confirmed. Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan's next fight in the RAF promotion will earn him at least a three percent equity stake in the company. Additional snippets include Dustin Poirier dismissing Conor McGregor's potential return, Dana White sharing construction photos of the White House event venue, new sparring footage of Allen vs Chimaev, Carlos Ulberg beginning knee rehabilitation, and Payton Talbott posting a Toy Story meme hinting at the UFC's cooling interest in him.
Islam Makhachev has been dropping hints that he plans to return to competition in July, though no opponent, event, or official announcement has been confirmed to accompany those signals. Separately, Arman Tsarukyan is reportedly set to receive at least a three-percent equity stake in the RAF promotion in connection with his next fight there. Both items remain unconfirmed reports rather than verified bookings.
Makhachev, 34, carries a 28-1 record and holds the welterweight title while sitting atop the pound-for-pound rankings. The Russian southpaw, who trains out of Eagles MMA, is one of the more suffocating grapplers in the sport, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and completing his strikes at a 58 percent clip. Any July appearance, if it materializes, would be among the more anticipated returns on the calendar given his current status.
Elsewhere in the news cycle, Dustin Poirier has publicly dismissed the prospect of Conor McGregor returning to active competition. Poirier, 37, is a 30-10 southpaw out of American Top Team who has spent the better part of a decade near the top of the lightweight division, landing 5.24 significant strikes per minute at 50 percent accuracy across his career.
Sparring footage has also surfaced appearing to show middleweight contender Brendan Allen working alongside Khamzat Chimaev. Allen, 30, holds a 26-7 record and sits ranked fifth in the middleweight division. The six-foot-two American out of Kill Cliff FC averages 3.59 significant strikes per minute with a 53 percent accuracy rate, and his 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes reflect a well-rounded game.
Why it matters
- A Makhachev return in July would begin shaping the welterweight title picture for the second half of 2026
- Tsarukyan's reported equity arrangement with RAF signals a growing trend of fighters seeking ownership stakes in promotions
- Allen-Chimaev sparring footage, even unverified in context, raises questions about a potential middleweight matchup between a top-five contender and one of the division's most prominent names
