On a Wednesday in Las Vegas, UFC chief Dana White found himself explaining a collapsed deal that had been close to finished: a welterweight clash between champion Islam Makhachev and Carlos Prates, pulled apart after a verbal yes. In the way combat sports always carry the weight of money and pride, the episode lays bare an old question about how often a champion should step into the cage and who gets to decide. White's answer, that wealth dulls the hunger that once drove fighters to compete, is as much a comment on the sport's economy as on one man's choices. For now the matter rests with Prat
Dana White Says Islam Makhachev's UFC 336 Exit Is 'More Complicated' Than It Looks
"Once you start to get enough money, you don't have to fight all the time."
Mark
So Makhachev was supposed to headline UFC 336. What happened?
Mimi
According to Dana White, Makhachev verbally agreed to fight Carlos Prates, and the contracts were next. Then talks collapsed, and the UFC booked Prates against Michael Morales for an interim title instead.
Luke
Worth flagging that this is White's account. We don't have Makhachev's side in this reporting, and we don't know what actually broke the talks.
Mark
White tied it to champions staying active. Is that about Makhachev specifically?
Mimi
He answered a general question about why some champions fight less, and said it comes down to money. He wants two or three fights a year from his champions.
Luke
Right, but he didn't name Makhachev in that answer as far as this reports. It's unclear if he's changed his view of the decision.
Mark
And Prates?
Mimi
He's blunt. He says Hunter Campbell told him the date was reserved, and that Makhachev then said he didn't want it. He used the word chickened out.
Luke
That's Prates's version, and he has a stake in it. It's one fighter's characterization, not a confirmed sequence.
Mark
What's settled, then?
Mimi
The card is set for Scotiabank Arena, Van versus Kape is the main event, and the Prates-Morales winner is slated to face Makhachev when timing allows.
Luke
That last part is a stated plan, not a signed fight.
Il Polso
- A deal that was nearly signed fell apart, leaving a headline bout suddenly hollow.
- White, visibly frustrated, pressed the point that champions should stay active rather than wait.
- Prates calls Makhachev a coward and vows to return and beat him twice as hard.
- The UFC has moved fast, pairing Prates with unbeaten Michael Morales for an interim title that leads back to Makhachev.
On a Wednesday in Las Vegas, UFC chief Dana White found himself explaining a collapsed deal that had been close to finished: a welterweight clash between champion Islam Makhachev and Carlos Prates, pulled apart after a verbal yes. In the way combat sports always carry the weight of money and pride, the episode lays bare an old question about how often a champion should step into the cage and who gets to decide. White's answer, that wealth dulls the hunger that once drove fighters to compete, is as much a comment on the sport's economy as on one man's choices. For now the matter rests with Prates and Morales, whose interim bout in Toronto will determine who earns the chance the champion walked away from.
Standing before reporters in Las Vegas on Wednesday, Dana White was supposed to be talking about a bull. Instead, the questions kept circling back to welterweight champion Islam Makhachev and his absence from UFC 336 in Toronto. White said a fight against Brazilian contender Carlos Prates had nearly been finalized, with Makhachev verbally agreeing before the talks collapsed.
The UFC has already adjusted. Prates will now face unbeaten Ecuadorian Michael Morales for an interim title, and the winner is expected to meet Makhachev for the undisputed belt when the timing works. White, clearly irritated, returned to his long-held belief that champions should fight often. Asked why some fight less than others, he pointed to money: young fighters hungry for pay compete constantly, while wealthy champions feel no such need. He said he would prefer his champions fight two or three times a year.
Prates, meanwhile, has moved on. He says Makhachev had publicly claimed he wanted to fight, and that the date had been held for him, before backing out. "He chickened out," Prates said. He now sees Morales as a stepping stone, planning to win the interim belt and then return to deliver a harder lesson to the champion.
The event marks the UFC's first return to Scotiabank Arena in Toronto since January 2024. The Prates-Morales result will decide who earns the shot that Makhachev walked away from.
Standing in front of reporters in Las Vegas on Wednesday afternoon, UFC CEO Dana White was there to talk about a bull. The animal is called "Dana White's Playmate," and it belongs to his Professional Bull Riders venture. The questions, though, kept turning to the welterweight champion, Islam Makhachev, and why he will not be fighting at UFC 336 in Toronto.
White described the situation as more complicated than most people realize. By his account, a fight between Makhachev and the Brazilian contender Carlos Prates was close to done. Makhachev, who is from Russia, had verbally agreed to the bout, White said, and the bout agreements were still to come. Then the talks fell apart.
The UFC changed course. Prates will now meet Michael Morales, the unbeaten fighter from Ecuador, in an interim title fight. The winner is expected to face Makhachev for the undisputed belt once the timing lines up. Before the collapse, the Makhachev-Prates fight would have headlined the card. The main event is now the flyweight title bout between champion Joshua Van and Manel Kape, part of a championship doubleheader that remains on the schedule.
White appeared visibly frustrated, but he is moving ahead. The episode touched what he has long said bothers him most: champions should work to stay active, whatever the opposition. Asked why some champions fight far less often than others, he kept his answer simple. "I think it's money," he said, explaining that young, hungry fighters want to fight often because they want to get paid. Once a fighter has enough money, he added, there is no need to fight all the time. He said he would prefer his champions fight two or three times a year.
It is not clear whether White has softened or changed his view of Makhachev's decision. What he did repeat is that the interim winner will get the title shot.
Prates, for his part, had been preparing for Makhachev. Speaking to Laerte Viana, he said the champion had publicly claimed he wanted to be active, and that Hunter Campbell had even said the date was held for him. Then, Prates said, Makhachev came out and said he did not want it. "He chickened out," Prates said.
Prates said he moved on quickly from the idea of a January fight with Makhachev. He treats Morales as another step toward his long-term goals. His plan, as he described it, is to beat Morales, take the interim belt, and then return to beat Makhachev "twice as hard" to teach him a lesson.
The card is the UFC's first event at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto since January 2024. What happens there between Prates and Morales will decide who gets the Makhachev fight that fell through this time.
Citazioni salienti
I think it's money. When guys are young and hungry, they want to fight a lot because they want to get paid.— Dana White
He comes out saying he wants to be an active champion... Then he just came out and said he didn't want it. He chickened out.— Carlos Prates, to Laerte Viana
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