A new interim welterweight champion is officially getting crowned to kick off 2027, and it’s all because Islam Makhachev couldn’t make his scheduled January defense. The UFC dropped the news during Saturday’s UFC 333 broadcast, setting up a surprise interim title fight between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales for UFC 336 on January 30th in Toronto. Get ready, because the welterweight division is about to go off!
The Champ’s Controversial Delay
Islam Makhachev, the reigning welterweight champ, was supposed to throw down with Carlos Prates at that January event. But then Ariel Helwani reported Friday that Makhachev ultimately couldn’t make the date. UFC CEO Dana White, never one to mince words, laid it all out at the UFC 333 post-fight press conference. White didn’t pull any punches, telling reporters, “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.” He went on, “You can’t hold up divisions like this. You’ve got to keep moving, and this fight makes sense.” What’s wild is White added that Makhachev didn’t even give him a reason for wanting to wait! Makhachev himself hit social media, though, telling a fan, “As soon as we find out who the real contender is, we’ll be right back!!!” The man wants to fight the “real contender,” huh? Well, the division is moving on without him for now.
The Twitter Fingers Are Flying
You know social media is going to explode when news like this drops, and oh boy, it did not disappoint. Carlos Prates, who was slated to fight Makhachev, wasted no time questioning the champ’s timeline. Prates fired off, “I’ve been working for my dream to be a champion at 17 years old, and now you postponed it. I’m number 1, I knocked out two former champions while Morales only beat Sean Brady.” Then he really went for the jugular: “You told UFC you won’t be ready to fight in 3 months. Bro, you don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t party and can’t you prepare for a fight in three months? 😂😂” Prates wasn’t done, promising, “Let me show you how it’s done. January 30th I’ll knock out Michael Morales, and then I’ll come back to retire you, fujão!”
Makhachev wasn’t about to take that lying down. He fired right back, referencing their mutual opponent, Ian Machado Garry. Prates actually fell short against Garry in April 2025. Makhachev, on the other hand, successfully defended his title against Garry via unanimous decision at UFC 330 in August. Makhachev’s mic drop? “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. See you soon. #maybe” Talk about some serious beef! For the record, Prates (24-7) is on a three-fight win streak since that Garry loss, with huge KOs over former champs Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards. Morales (19-0) is also no joke, coming off a dominant first-round stoppage against Sean Brady at UFC 322, the same night Makhachev snatched welterweight gold from Della Maddalena. This interim title fight is stacked with bad blood and serious talent!
So mark your calendars for January 30th! UFC 336 in Toronto is going to be absolutely wild. Not only do we get this heated interim welterweight title clash between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales, but surging flyweight champ Joshua Van is also back to defend his strap against top-contender Manel Kape. The welterweight division is moving forward, and trust me, you won’t want to miss who steps up to claim that interim gold. The drama is absolutely getting started!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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