UFC president Dana White explained why UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev is no longer fighting at UFC 336.
Makhachev was being targeted to fight top contender Carlos Prates in the headliner of UFC 336, but when the card was announced on Saturday during the UFC 333 broadcast, it was instead Prates against Michael Morales for an interim belt.
So, what happened to Makhachev? White explained to reporters following UFC 333 what led to the creation of an interim belt and why Makhachev is no longer fighting at UFC 336.
Dana White Says Islam Makhachev Didn’t Want to Fight at UFC 336
According to White, Makhachev simply did not want to fight at UFC 336 and did not provide the organization with a reason. Thus, the UFC was forced to move on and create an interim belt for Prates and Morales to fight over, as a welterweight title fight was penciled in for this card.
“Islam fights like once a year. He was slated for January, and then said ‘I don’t want to fight until after Ramadan.’ You can’t hold up divisions like this. You gotta keep moving,” White said.
“Islam fights like once a year. He was slated for January, and then said ‘I don’t want to fight until after Ramadan.’
You can’t hold up divisions like this. You gotta keep moving.”
What Is UFC’s Relationship Like With Islam Makhachev Now?
Anytime a fight promoter comes out and says that a fighter doesn’t want to fight, it shows that there is friction between both parties, and that is exactly the case here, as White’s comments show that he and Makhachev are not on the same page at the moment.
As great a fighter as Makhachev is, the UFC always puts the three letters of the company ahead of any one fighter on the roster. Ultimately, even though Makhachev is the No. 1 pound-for-pound MMA fighter on the planet, he doesn’t come first — the three letters of the UFC do — and so the promotion had to go ahead and make alternate plans for UFC 336 when it became clear that Makhachev was not willing to compete on the card.
Hopefully, he will be ready to go next summer and fight the winner of Prates vs. Morales, but if he’s not, the company would have to consider stripping him of the UFC welterweight belt.
Dana White Explains Why Islam Makhachev Is Off UFC 336