Islam Makhachev may already have passed toughest test: MMA rankings August 2026

Islam Makhachev faced Ian Machado Garry in a welterweight title fight at UFC, and according to MMA rankings published on August 21, 2026, that bout may represent the toughest challenge Makhachev will encounter at 170 pounds. The article by Scott Fontana raises the question of whether Garry, despite the outcome, proved to be the most difficult test of Makhachev's welterweight campaign. The rankings piece suggests Makhachev may have already cleared his biggest hurdle in the division.