Islam Makhachev walked into Madison Square Garden at UFC 322 chasing history and left with yet another gold belt wrapped around his waist—with a fanbase divided on whether he is the greatest of his era or the most exhausting champion to watch. Five rounds of cold, calculated dominance over Jack Della Maddalena earned the Dagestani great the welterweight title, tying Anderson Silva‘s iconic streak, and confirming what many already suspected: Islam Makhachev might really be untouchable.

But excellence always divides, as UFC 322 proved once again. Because, while the Dagestani was winning another belt, another star was quietly emerging on the undercard. Michael Morales, the powerful welterweight Joe Rogan has been hyping for a while, blew through No. 1 contender Sean Brady with such a clean finish that fans immediately crowned him the guy to dethrone Makhachev.

Fans split as Islam Makhachev dominates yet again at UFC 322

The praise came first—loud, unwavering, and totally convinced. Fans tweeted stuff like, “50-45 Islam, easy. #ANDNEW—tied Silva’s record.” “Easy top five of all time.” Others cited the unarguable resume: “Beat the GOAT featherweight champion twice. Beat the all-time greatest lightweight. Beat the welterweight champion. Complete dominance.” Another user added, “Man conquered the UFC, tbf. For them, Islam Makhachev had simply entered the GOAT room and locked the door behind him.

However, a chorus of exhaustion followed immediately, a reaction from which Islam Makhachev can never quite escape. One fan tweeted, “Props to Islam for giving us a more boring title fight than Valentina. That takes some doing,” referring to the co-main event of the night that too failed to meet fan expectations.

Another user added, “Can’t believe I paid money to watch Islam hold a man down for 20 minutes.” Others skipped the diplomacy: “This is MMA, not wrestling. Boring headline fight,” and “Islam Makhachev is now the most boring UFC champion on the roster.” For many viewers, domination on the mat is not the same as entertainment.

Then followed the plea, which dominated the entire conversation. Fans sought someone new, dangerous, and capable of ending Islam Makhachev‘s reign. And for these fans, that one savior is Michael Morales. “Welterweight cannot be stale like this. We need Morales to finish Islam.”

Another wrote, “Low-key, Michael Morales has the most legit chance against Islam out of all the contenders.” And the boldest prediction of the night: “Michael Morales will be a superstar when he knocks Islam out.” The message was clear: the division needed new blood, and Morales’ name was on everyone’s lips, including the UFC commentator Joe Rogan, who is all praise for the fighter and even seeks a title opportunity for him.

Morales’ performance significantly flipped the energy of UFC 322, and it didn’t stop after the knockout. He came in as an underdog and left as the man who fans believe can dethrone a newly crowned double champion. That’s not regular momentum; it’s collision-course momentum. But will Makhachev really accept the fight? After all, the new champion has another name in mind.

Islam Makhachev plans to face Kamaru Usman for his first title defense

For Islam Makhachev, the Morales hype most likely hasn’t changed a thing. Even before entering MSG, he had planned his next move, and it wasn’t against the undefeated newcomer. The new double champion made it clear that if he defends his welterweight title, he wants Kamaru Usman. In his opinion, defeating the man with the most title defenses contributes more to his legacy than chasing the flavor of the month.

So, when asked who should get the first shot, the Dagestani didn’t even consider the contenders before he said, “After Jack, I think Kamaru.” Without hesitation. No mention of Michael Morales‘ meteoric climb, Sean Brady being a threat, or Carlos Prates being another prowling contender in the division. He simply sees Usman as the only matchup that adds weight to his reign and resume, and he isn’t afraid to say it.

Meanwhile, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is eager to seize the moment. Fresh off a convincing victory over Joaquin Buckley, the former champion believes he has proven enough to warrant another title opportunity. It is unclear whether the UFC will agree, but Makhachev has publicly named him, so the door is wide open. And now the division faces a choice: go with the champion’s legacy option, or ride the wildfire momentum of Michael Morales, the guy fans believe will finally end Makhachev’s reign.