Dana White isn’t waiting on Islam Makhachev. The UFC CEO said Saturday that the promotion created an interim welterweight title fight between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales for UFC 336 on Jan. 30 in Toronto because the champion turned down the January date and never told him why.
“On average, Islam fights like once a year, and he was slated for January and then said I don’t want to fight until after Ramadan,” White said at the UFC 333 post-fight press conference in Abu Dhabi. “You can’t hold up divisions like this. You’ve got to keep moving, and this fight makes sense.”
The original plan had Makhachev defending against Prates in the Toronto main event. Ariel Helwani reported Friday for Uncrowned that Makhachev couldn’t make the date, and the UFC 333 broadcast then announced the interim bout along with a flyweight title fight between champion Joshua Van and Manel Kape. There was speculation that an injury caused the delay, but MMA Fighting reported that White was firm that Makhachev offered no reason. Ramadan runs Feb. 8 to March 8 in 2027, and Makhachev doesn’t fight during it for religious reasons. The broadcast mentioned that he could be ready as soon as May. The UFC decided that was too long to sit on the division.
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Makhachev’s answer on X was short. Asked by a fan when he’d be back, he wrote, “As soon as we find out who the real contender is, we’ll be right back!!!”
Prates wasn’t having it. The Brazilian said he’d been chasing a title since he was 17 and went after Makhachev’s preparation directly: “Bro, you don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t party and can’t you prepare for a fight in three months?” He promised to knock out Morales on Jan. 30 and then come for the champ.
Makhachev’s reply pointed to Ian Machado Garry, who beat Prates in April 2025 and lost to Makhachev by unanimous decision at UFC 330 in August. “I just beat the guy who chased you around the Octagon for five rounds. Shut up and go train. You’re not on my level,” Makhachev wrote, tacking on a maybe hashtag for good measure.
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Prates (24-7) has won three straight since the Garry loss, and two of those were knockouts of former champions Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards. Morales (19-0) last fought in November at UFC 322, where he stopped Sean Brady in Round 1. That was the same card where Makhachev took the belt from Della Maddalena. The interim winner is expected to face Makhachev whenever he returns.
My take: White’s claim that Makhachev fights about once a year doesn’t hold up against Makhachev’s own schedule. He won the title in November and defended it in August, which is two fights in about nine months, and a May return would be roughly nine months after UFC 330. That’s a normal champion’s pace. Jan. 30 also falls nine days before Ramadan begins, so turning down a fight that sits right against a month of fasting isn’t exactly ducking anybody. Still, I like the matchup the UFC ended up with. An unbeaten 19-0 guy who just ran through Brady against a striker who has put two former champs to sleep is a better fight than most title fights on the 2027 calendar, and whoever wins goes into a Makhachev fight with a real argument. Prates calling the champ “fujão” on social media will only make that one easier to sell.
