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Ecuadorian professional mixed martial arts fighter Michael Morales poses for a portrait at the Entram Gym training centre in Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on February 5, 2026. In a tropical town in Ecuador, children no longer dream only of becoming football players to escape poverty. They also want to be UFC fighters like Michael "Spiderman" Morales, a beast in the octagon who has become a local idol. The 26-year-old fighter has been immortalized in murals and is now the hero of the children on the streets of Pasaje, a town ravaged by violence. (Photo by Guillermo Arias / AFP via Getty Images)

The UFC will host their flagship event at the White House on June 14, which is set to be headlined by Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje hashing it out for the UFC Lightweight Championship, and Alex Pereira & Cyril Gane battling for the UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship.

A month later at UFC 329 during International Fight Week , as the promotion announced last weekend during the inaugural MVP Netflix event – Ronda Rousey v.s. Gina Carano, Conor McGregor will face off against former featherweight champion Max Holloway at 170 lbs.

And the expectation is that another welterweight bout will headline the following event at UFC 330, where current champion Islam Makhachev is expected to defend his title after dominating Jack Della Maddalena last November.

Recent reports have surfaced claiming that Ian Machado Garry is next in line for the shot, something that given his status as the #1 contender with six top-15 wins would make a lot of sense.

However, posting on Instagram on Wednesday #3 ranked contender Michael Morales, who is widely seen as the only other viable opponent for Islam at UFC 330, suggested it was in fact him who would be suiting up in mid-August.

“I always create my own luck and that’s why I’ll be the next champion”, Morales wrote in the caption of the post before adding the pen signing emoji, implying he is set to or has already signed the contract, and a date.

“15-08-26”, the date at which UFC 330 will take place in Philadelphia.

Will Michael Morales Be Next Man Up At 170 LBs?

Intuitively, most fans and commentators concede that Garry is the more deserving of the pair when it comes to who should be scheduled as Makhachev’s opponent for August.

Despite being unbeaten – Garry’s sole loss was to Shavkat Rakhmonov at UFC 310 back in December 2024, where he sustained a knee injury that will ultimately keep him out for nearly two years – Morales has only three top-15 wins to the Irishman’s six, which also include a victory against #2 ranked contender Carlos Prates back in April 2025 and former champion Belal Muhammad last November.

However, the Ecuadorian’s wins have certainly been done in style: all three of his ranked victories against Neil Magny, Gilbert Burns and Sean Brady have come via first round finish. Garry, on the other hand has not finished a fight in his last five wins, with his most recent one coming against current #15 ranked contender Daniel Rodriguez back in May 2023.

With his sleek blend of wrestling and distance striking, Garry is one of the hardest puzzles to figure out in the division. But for a UFC fanbase that wants entertaining and a management in search of exciting matchups and potential viral knockouts, a Morales fight certainly provides great potential.

This post is hardly a definitive news-break, but it certainly lends credence to the notion that it could well be the case that Garry misses out on a title shot once again.