The welterweight logjam and new combat rules

Undefeated contenders wait

Belal Muhammad defends his welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena at the Bell Centre in Montreal. This title fight leaves the rest of the 170-pound division in a state of flux. Shavkat Rakhmonov carries a 19-0 record but has not competed since December 2024 at UFC 310, where he defeated Ian Machado Garry. He underwent surgery on January 31, 2026, to address a torn ACL and meniscus. While Rakhmonov recovers from the surgery he underwent on January 31, 2026, to address a torn ACL and meniscus, Michael Morales maintains a 19-0 record after winning first-round knockouts against both Sean Brady and Gilbert Burns. Morales called Rakhmonov "the final boss" in a video. Morales also called out Islam Makhachev and Carlos Prates. Rakhmonov was removed from the official welterweight rankings in February 2026 after a long period of inactivity. He previously defeated fighters like Stephen Thompson and Geoff Neal. Morales most recently competed at UFC 322, where he knocked out Sean Brady. Muhammad beat Leon Edwards to win the title last summer at UFC 304. He aims to emulate Georges St-Pierre by chasing the "goat" in Montreal. I think the UFC’s inability to organize this battle of undefeated fighters is a massive missed opportunity. How long will the 19-0 standoff between Rakhmonov and Morales last?

Ian Machado Garry backup role

Ian Machado Garry acts as the official backup for the Muhammad versus Della Maddalena bout. Garry holds a 17-2 record and a black belt in Judo. He secured a unanimous decision win over Carlos Prates in April 2025. This victory preceded his win over Belal Muhammad in November 2025. Garry lost his most recent fight to Islam Makhachev at UFC 330 on August 15, 2026. You should note that Garry’s presence in Montreal provides an immediate solution if the main event fighters cannot compete. Garry has 17 professional wins, including seven by knockout and one by submission. His career includes decisions over Darian Weeks, Gabriel Green, Song Kenan, Neil Magny, and Michael Page. He also won the Cage Warriors Welterweight Championship in June 2021. He previously achieved a TKO win over Daniel Rodriguez in May 2023 and a split decision win over Geoff Neal in February 2024. He earned a performance of the night award after his TKO win over Daniel Rodriguez. His amateur career included six wins and one loss, beginning in November 2017. His professional debut occurred in February 2019 at Cage Warriors 101 against James Sheehan.

New rules for the octagon

The Association of Boxing Commissions and Combative Sports passed two regulatory changes during its annual conference in Niagara Falls, New York. The conference included leaders such as Mike Mazzulli, Kevin MacDonald, Blake Grice, and Sal D’Amato. Discussions covered fighter safety, weight cutting, transgender athletes, open scoring, and TUE exemptions. Guest speakers included former UFC fighters Jake Ellenberger and Din Thomas. Fighters now receive five minutes to recover after an eye poke occurs. If the five minutes expire, the commission calls off the bout. The commission also permits the use of soft neoprene-type sleeves on knee or ankle joints. These sleeves cannot have padding, velcro, plastic, or metal. They must be black, though they can match the assigned corner colors of blue or red. The rules intend to provide more consistency for judges and athletes. The conference also included sessions on refereeing and judging. The Association approved the eye poke and recovery time rules unanimously.