UFC legend Kamaru Usman said that he agrees with UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev’s decision not to fight at UFC 336.
Makhachev was set to fight Carlos Prates at UFC 336, but he declined to fight on that date, leading to the creation of an interim UFC welterweight title bout between Prates and Michael Morales.
Makhachev has been heavily criticized for his decision to turn down Prates, but Usman, who is also managed by Dominance MMA’s Ali Abdelaziz, says he agrees with the champ’s decision to say no to Prates.
Kamaru Usman Supports Islam Makhachev
Speaking on the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast, Usman said that he supports Makhachev’s decision to decline a matchup against Prates at UFC 336.
“If you’re gonna replace a staple like Kamaru Usman, you’ve gotta be able to put in someone like Islam. If you’re gonna take out someone like an Islam Makhachev, who’s that next guy right now looking in that welterweight division that you can put there and say, ‘I can do a numbered event that people are really gonna pack the arena for?’ I think these guys are well on the way, but I feel like they just need maybe one more. One more against a top guy that still has big clout. I think this is a phenomenal matchup. Either guy wins this here, they are A-tier to potentially succeed if Islam Makhachev loses the belt or gives up the belt,” Usman said (via Bloody Elbow).
Did Islam Makhachev Make the Right Call?
If you ask Usman, then Makhachev made the right call turning down Prates for UFC 336.
But if you ask most fans, they don’t agree with this take, as many believe that Makhachev ducked fighting a tough title challenger.
With Makhachev not fighting Prates, it eliminates one of Prates or Morales from fighting Makhachev for the belt anytime soon, as the winner will fight for the undisputed title, while the loser will be eliminated from title contention for now.
Only time will tell if Makhachev made the right call, but either way, he won’t be able to say no to the winner of Prates/Morales.
Kamaru Usman Agrees With Islam Makhachev’s UFC 336 Decision