Islam Makhachev has every intention of defending his UFC title against Arman Tsarukyan this year, but his health might say otherwise.

UFC lightweight champ Makhachev (26-1 MMA, 15-1 UFC) has revealed a lingering hand injury stemming from his fifth-round submission win over Dustin Poirier at UFC 302 in June still is giving him issues – and is raising questions about whether he’ll be able to defend against Tsarukyan (22-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi.

Makhachev said the UFC has yet to formally discuss the fight date with his team, but his expectation was to get back in the octagon this year. However, recent MRI results have now put his status in question.

“After the fight (with Poirier), my fists hurt, a lot of things hurt,” Makhachev told Ushatayka in Russian (HT/Championship Rounds on X). “We’ll take time. Everything is healing little by little. But my hand continues to bother me. An MRI recently confirmed that I have a partial ligament tear. Let’s see if I can recover. If not, I might even have to have surgery.

“It is questionable (if I will fight at UFC 308). We haven’t talked about the fight yet. I am doing rehabilitation every day now. And we’ll see how the hand goes.”

Makhachev is aware of the narratives from members of a section of the fanbase who claim he doesn’t compete frequently enough, despite the fact he’s fought at least twice a year every year since 2020. It’s not his desire to have an extended break from competition, but his recovery timetable may change that.

“I really want to perform before the end of the year,” Makhachev said. “I plan to. So far, I haven’t even thought about not performing. I want to come in shape, prepared, so that nothing bothers me. Before the last fight, there were also a lot of minor injuries. Everyone somehow accumulated. I want to give my body time to recover.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.