No drinking, no smoking, no partying — and for some reason there is still not enough time.
1st place Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) welterweight contender Carlos Prates a challenge was expected Islam Makhachov year for the 170-pound championship UFC 336 main event January 30, 2027 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Prates wasn’t too thrilled with the change.
“@islam_makhachev, since I was 17 I’ve been working towards my dream of being a champion and now you’ve postponed it,” Prates wrote on Instagram in Portuguese. “I’m No. 1. I knocked out two former champions, while Morales only beat Sean Brady.”
“You told the UFC you’re not ready to fight in three months. Bro, you don’t drink, smoke, party, and prepare for a fight in three months? Let me show you how it’s done. On January 30th, I’ll knock out Michael Morales and then I’ll come back to retire you.”
Prates definitely has a point on his CV. Because suffered a unanimous decision loss Ian Machado GarryThe Brazilian knockout artist has scored three straight finishes, including a win over the former middleweight champion. Leon Edwards (watch the highlights) and As Jack Della Maddalena (watch the highlights).
Makhachov – or perhaps whoever manages the champion’s social media account – fired back, pointing to their shared history with Garry.
“I just beat the guy who chased you around the octagon for five rounds,” Makhachov wrote on social media. “Shut up and go practice. You’re not on my level. See you soon. #maybe.”
UFC CEO Dana White was also less than satisfied with Makhachov’s decision to sit out.
“On average, Islam fights like once a year,” White said at the UFC 333 post-fight press conference. “He was scheduled for January and then he said, ‘I don’t want to fight until after Ramadan.’ You can’t have divisions like that. You have to move forward and this fight makes sense. There’s no reason.”
First, Prates must get past Morales, who has a perfect 19-0 pro record and is 7-0 inside the Octagon. If the chain-smoking Brazilian scores another knockout in Toronto, his grudge match with Makhachov will turn into a title unification fight, with some retirement threats thrown in for good measure.
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