Makhachev Declines UFC 336: Prates-Morales Interim Title 2026

Islam Makhachev (29-1) turned down a January fight, and UFC CEO Dana White's answer was to book an interim welterweight title bout: Carlos Prates (24-7) against Michael Morales (19-0), per ESPN's Brett Okamoto. White said so on Saturday.

Makhachev Declines UFC 336: What Dana White Said

Makhachev, the welterweight champion, was slated to headline UFC 336 on Jan. 30 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. White said he declined the fight without giving the UFC a reason, per ESPN. "Islam, on average, fights once a year," White said, adding, "You can't hold up divisions like this."

Makhachev answered on X that he will return once "we find out who the real contender is," per ESPN. White said Makhachev gave no reason.

ESPN also reports that Makhachev plans to observe Ramadan starting in February, which pushes his return to at least May.

The Interim Fight: Prates vs. Morales

The interim title fight is booked for January as the co-main event of UFC 336, per ESPN. The headliner is a flyweight title fight between Joshua Van (18-2) and Manel Kape (23-7).

Both men arrive with knockout records:

Carlos Prates (24-7): 7-1 in the UFC. His wins include victories over former champions Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards, and all seven of his UFC wins came by knockout.

Michael Morales (19-0): 7-0 in the UFC with five knockouts, four of them in the first round.

Add it up and those two men have 12 knockouts in 14 combined UFC wins. Morales is unbeaten at 19-0, and every one of Prates's UFC wins ended in a knockout.

The Welterweight Numbers

Beyond ESPN's report, UFC.com's athlete pages fill in the three men's records. Makhachev, 34, is 29-1, ranked No. 1 pound for pound and listed as the title holder. His last fight was Aug. 15, 2026, a unanimous decision over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330. Of his 29 wins, UFC.com lists 13 by submission, 11 by decision and five by knockout.

Prates, 33, is ranked No. 2 at welterweight. UFC.com has him beating Della Maddalena by third-round KO on May 2, 2026 and Edwards by second-round KO at UFC 322 last November. He has won 14 of his last 15 fights, with the one loss in that stretch a decision to Machado Garry in April 2025, and he has won by KO or TKO in each of his last 13 wins.

Morales, 27, is ranked No. 3. Fourteen of his 19 wins came by KO or TKO, and his 19-fight win streak is tied with Shavkat Rakhmonov for the longest at welterweight, per UFC.com. His two most recent finishes were first-round TKOs of Sean Brady at UFC 322 and Gilbert Burns in May 2025.

What It Means for the Welterweight Division

Makhachev is still the welterweight champion, and the interim bout is scheduled for January. ESPN's report does not say what happens between the interim winner and Makhachev afterward.

ESPN's article does not mention betting odds for the interim bout, and we did not find a posted price from a source we can cite, so we are not quoting one. For earlier coverage, see our UFC 330 results and our UFC rankings breakdown.

What We Know and What We Don't

Here is the confirmed part, per ESPN. Makhachev declined a Jan. 30 fight in Toronto. White said the UFC booked an interim welterweight title bout between Prates and Morales for January. The card is UFC 336, with Van and Kape in the main event. Makhachev's response on X said he will come back when the real contender is known.

Here is what the ESPN report does not include: a betting price for the interim bout, or a stated reason for Makhachev's decision beyond White saying none was given. The Ramadan note is the only calendar detail on Makhachev's side, and it points to a return no earlier than May.

Betting Impact

ESPN's report does not mention odds for the interim bout, so there is no price to quote here. What the report does give is the knockout record: all seven of Prates's UFC wins ended in a knockout, and five of Morales's seven did, four of them in Round 1. Those are the numbers to hold against the method-of-victory prices when books post lines.

For StatSniper's model view of the card, see the UFC daily picks page, Chad and the AI sports picks board.

What to Watch Next

Opening odds for Prates vs. Morales. Watch for the first moneyline and the first method-of-victory prices.

Makhachev's next move. White said he fights about once a year, and Makhachev said he will return once the real contender is known. Watch for any update from him before the January card.

The rest of UFC 336. Van vs. Kape headlines in Toronto. Lone'er Kavanagh, fresh off a first-round TKO at UFC 333, said he would wait and see that fight and then possibly fight the winner, as covered in our UFC 333 results.

The official divisional order is on UFC's rankings page, and the fighter records above come from UFC.com's Prates page.

FAQ

Why did the UFC book an interim welterweight title fight? UFC CEO Dana White said Islam Makhachev declined a January fight without giving a reason, so the UFC booked Carlos Prates vs. Michael Morales for the interim title, per ESPN.

When is UFC 336? Jan. 30 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, with Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape for the flyweight title headlining and the interim welterweight bout as the co-main event, per ESPN.

When will Makhachev fight next? ESPN reports he plans to observe Ramadan starting in February, which pushes his return to at least May. No date has been announced.

What are the odds for Prates vs. Morales? ESPN's report does not include odds, and we have no price from a source we can cite.

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