Prates' Manager Says UFC Upset With Makhachev Over Withdrawal

Islam Makhachev's unexplained withdrawal from a planned welterweight title defense has left the UFC frustrated, according to the team representing challenger Carlos Prates.

Manager Lucas Lutkus said the promotion reached out in late October to inform him the champion would not compete on the scheduled Jan. 30 card in Toronto. MMA Fighting reports that Makhachev offered no medical reason or explanation for pulling out. Prates will instead face 19-0 prospect Michael Morales for an interim championship in the UFC 336 co-main event.

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Champion Reverses Course on January Fight

The Brazilian earned his title opportunity with a knockout of former champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth in May. Both Prates and the UFC accepted the January timeline based on Makhachev's public statements about competing before Ramadan, which begins Feb. 7. "Bro, we have to fight before Ramadan. 100 percent," Makhachev said in August, per MMA Fighting.

According to Lutkus, confusion reigns over why the champion changed course. When asked by the manager whether an injury caused the withdrawal, UFC officials confirmed they had received no justification beyond unavailability. The promotion's frustration stems from Makhachev's repeated assurances he would defend in January, only to reverse three months out from the event.

🎟️ Get tickets: Buy tickets to UFC 336 on Ticketmaster →

Prates went 4-0 in 2024 with four knockouts across a 14-month span, earning MMA Fighting's Rookie of the Year honors. His manager said the fighter is receiving a seven-figure purse for the Morales bout and ranks among the top three highest-paid Brazilians on the roster behind Alex Pereira. The 33-year-old had previously mentioned retiring by age 35 or 36 after more than 100 muay Thai fights, but Lutkus said fighting once or twice annually has changed that calculus.

Morales carries seven straight UFC wins into the interim title fight, capped by a first-round finish of Sean Brady. Lutkus told MMA Fighting he expects the Ecuadorian to pursue takedowns once Prates starts landing punches, despite Morales recording just one successful takedown in his UFC tenure. The bout headlines UFC 336 on Jan. 30 at Scotiabank Arena.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Carlos Prates manager: UFC ‘a little upset’ with Islam Makhachev after UFC 336 withdrawal