{"id":7278,"date":"2026-10-24T13:47:29","date_gmt":"2026-10-24T12:47:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/?p=7278"},"modified":"2026-10-24T18:18:18","modified_gmt":"2026-10-24T17:18:18","slug":"islam-makhachev-out-of-ufc-336-plans-what-happened-to-the-carlos-prates-fight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/islam-makhachev-out-of-ufc-336-plans-what-happened-to-the-carlos-prates-fight\/","title":{"rendered":"Islam Makhachev Out of UFC 336 Plans: What Happened to the Carlos Prates Fight?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: justify;\" data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\">The plans for UFC 336 have taken an unexpected turn, with Islam Makhachev reportedly no longer being considered for the event\u2019s main event. The development raises fresh questions about the welterweight champion\u2019s return, which had been expected to come against Brazil\u2019s Carlos Prates on January 30, 2027, in Toronto, Canada.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to reports from MMA media outlets, the matchup is no longer the option the UFC is pursuing to headline the event. The promotion is now exploring alternatives, even though the proposed fight between Makhachev and Prates had never been officially announced.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"ar\" dir=\"rtl\">\ud83d\udea8 \u0631\u062f\u0629 \u0641\u0639\u0644 \u062f\u0627\u0646\u0627 \u0648\u0627\u064a\u062a \u0644\u062d\u0638\u0629 \u0639\u0644\u0645\u0647 \u0645\u0628\u0627\u0634\u0631\u0629 \u0628\u0627\u0646\u0633\u062d\u0627\u0628 \u0625\u0633\u0644\u0627\u0645 \u0645\u0627\u062e\u0627\u062a\u0634\u064a\u0641 \u0645\u0646 \u0646\u0632\u0627\u0644\u0647 \u0641\u064a UFC 336! \ud83d\ude2d<\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\ude33 \u0645\u0644\u0627\u0645\u062d \u0631\u0626\u064a\u0633 \u0627\u0644\u0645\u0646\u0638\u0645\u0629 \u0627\u062e\u062a\u0635\u0631\u062a \u0627\u0644\u0635\u062f\u0645\u0629\u2026 \u0627\u0644\u062e\u0628\u0631 \u0644\u0645 \u064a\u0639\u062c\u0628\u0647 \u0625\u0637\u0644\u0627\u0642\u0627\u064b! \ud83d\udc80 <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/birFrMqKiC\">pic.twitter.com\/birFrMqKiC<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; mmamag (@mmamagma) <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/mmamagma\/status\/2113997963974553648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">October 24, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.x.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">That distinction matters. This is not the cancellation of a confirmed bout, but a change in the promotion\u2019s plans before the matchup became official.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">A date that no longer works for Makhachev<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Brazilian outlet <em>Ag. Fight<\/em> first reported that Makhachev was no longer part of the plans for UFC 336\u2019s main event. Journalist Ariel Helwani subsequently confirmed the development, reporting that the date no longer worked for the Dagestani champion. No specific reason has been disclosed.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">At this stage, there is no reliable evidence linking the change to an injury, a contractual dispute or a sporting decision. The information available indicates only that the UFC is exploring other options for its Toronto event.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The proposed matchup had nevertheless gained momentum in the preceding weeks. On October 14, <em>Sherdog<\/em>, citing journalist \u00c1lvaro Colmenero, reported that Makhachev versus Prates was being targeted for January 30 in Toronto, provided discussions continued to progress. The fight had become a serious possibility, but it had not reached the point of official confirmation.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">Carlos Prates remains in contention, but nothing is guaranteed<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The change comes as Prates has strengthened his case for a title opportunity. The Brazilian knocked out Jack Della Maddalena in May, adding to previous stoppage victories over Geoff Neal and Leon Edwards.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Those results make him a credible contender for a matchup with Makhachev. They do not, however, guarantee him an immediate title shot or preserve the date that had been discussed. Until the UFC clarifies its plans, several possibilities remain open: the fight could be postponed, Prates could be matched with another opponent, or the promotion could take a different direction with the division\u2019s schedule.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">The champion\u2019s return timeline is also under scrutiny<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Makhachev had his own reasons to target an early-2027 return. After winning the welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena in November 2025, he made his first successful defense against Ian Machado Garry, earning a unanimous decision at UFC 330 in August 2026.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">In September, Makhachev had indicated that he wanted to compete before Ramadan, which is expected to begin in February 2027. He also mentioned minor physical issues, particularly involving his spine, while describing them as not serious and saying he was working to address them.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">Those comments provide context for his preparation, but they do not establish a connection between his earlier physical concerns and the latest change in plans. Without a direct explanation from Makhachev or the UFC, attributing the decision to a medical issue would be speculation.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: justify;\">The UFC must now find a new main event<\/h3>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">The promotion faces two separate decisions: finding a new headliner for UFC 336 and determining what comes next for Prates in the title picture. Those questions do not necessarily have the same answer. Losing the proposed main-event slot does not automatically remove Prates from contention, just as Makhachev\u2019s absence from this card does not establish that his return will be delayed for an extended period.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">When asked about the reported change, UFC president Dana White reportedly described the news as \u201cinteresting,\u201d but offered no explanation that would clarify the situation.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: justify;\">As of October 24, 2026, the confirmed picture remains limited: Makhachev versus Prates is no longer the preferred option for the UFC 336 main event, the reason for the change has not been disclosed, and no replacement has been announced. The promotion\u2019s next decision will determine whether the matchup has merely been postponed or whether the welterweight division is moving toward a different contest.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The plans for UFC 336 have taken an unexpected turn, with Islam Makhachev reportedly no longer being considered for the event\u2019s main event. The development raises fresh questions about the welterweight champion\u2019s return, which had been expected to come against Brazil\u2019s Carlos Prates on January 30, 2027, in Toronto, Canada. According to reports from MMA [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45,86,21,91],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-7278","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mma","8":"category-mma-video","9":"category-ufc-news","10":"category-ufc"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7278"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7278"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7278\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7280,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7278\/revisions\/7280"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7278"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7278"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mmamag.ma\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7278"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}