Makhachev Explains the Prates Snub — and Why He Won't Fight Until Summer

For weeks the rumor mill had Islam Makhachev defending his welterweight title against Carlos Prates at UFC 336 in January. On Saturday the UFC killed it: Prates will instead fight Michael Morales for an interim belt, with the winner unifying against the champion sometime next year. Makhachev, 29-1 with 13 submissions on his résumé, won't be on the card at all.

The champion laid out his reasoning Sunday. He pointed out that Prates is coming off a loss to Ian Machado Garry — the same Garry that Makhachev already beat by decision in his last outing. In Makhachev's logic, beating Prates would only tee up Morales, who's been sitting idle waiting for a shot anyway. Better, he argued, to let the two of them settle it and produce an actual worthy challenger.

The Real Reason: Timing

Dana White offered the simpler explanation. Makhachev didn't want to fight until after Ramadan. That's not a small window. Ramadan in 2027 begins February 7 and ends March 8, which realistically pushes any title unification back to summer. So the welterweight division now waits the better part of a year for its champion to resurface.

That's a long time to hold a division hostage, and the UFC clearly knows it — hence the interim strap. Prates, ranked #2 at 24-7 with 19 knockouts, has serious finishing power. His only recent stumble was that Garry defeat; before the rumors swirled he'd banked a third-round TKO via elbows over Jack Della Maddalena. Morales, undefeated and surging, is exactly the kind of fresh name the promotion wants in a vacuum.

What It Sets Up

The math is tidy if you're Makhachev. He's already handled Garry, the division's current #1 at 17-2. If Prates or Morales wants the real belt, they'll have to earn it against each other first, then survive a champion who's lost once in his career. Prates, for his part, hasn't taken the snub quietly — he's publicly blasted Makhachev over the withdrawal and vowed to retire him whenever they do meet.

So the picture for 2027 is set: an interim title decided in January, a unification bout penciled in for summer, and a champion content to let the contenders knock each other around while he waits. It's a cautious play from a fighter who's rarely needed to gamble — and one that leaves Prates and Morales to do the heavy lifting.