White On Makhachev: 'Twice Would Be Nice'

Dana White is pushing for Islam Makhachev to step into the cage more frequently.

The UFC CEO told The Mac Life this week he'd like the two-division champion fighting at least twice annually, but Makhachev turned down a welterweight defense scheduled for January's UFC 336 card. White said Makhachev had given his word on the Prates matchup before reversing course. Carlos Prates now faces Michael Morales in an interim title fight while the Dagestani champion sits until Ramadan ends.

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Financial Security Behind Slower Schedule

White pointed to accumulated wealth as the driving force behind Makhachev's lighter workload. Fighters chase frequent bookings early in their careers to build their bank accounts, the CEO explained, but slow down once they've secured long-term money. He acknowledged Makhachev's historic run — the 33-year-old stands as the sport's consensus top pound-for-pound competitor and became just the fourth UFC athlete to defend championships across two weight classes. Since his 2015 promotional debut, he's gone 18-1 with two victories last year alone.

Still, White noted the logjam forming in both divisions. "Being the champ, I don't really expect you to fight three times a year, but twice would be nice," he said, per MMA Fighting. Contenders stack up when a titleholder stays out too long, he added. Makhachev has floated retirement talk recently and suggested Prates needs more credibility before earning a championship opportunity.

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

UFC 336 proceeds in January with Prates and Morales headlining for interim gold.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — Dana White on Islam Makhachev: ‘Being the champ, I don’t really expect you to fight 3 times a year, but twice would be nice’