Islam Makhachev out of UFC 336, Carlos Prates fight scrapped
The Jan. 30 date in Toronto no longer works for the welterweight champion, Ariel Helwani reports; the UFC is looking for a new headliner
Islam Makhachev is out of UFC 336, set for Jan. 30, 2027, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The news broke Friday (Oct. 23) and scrapped the UFC’s plan to put its welterweight champion against Brazil’s Carlos Prates in the main event.
According to Ariel Helwani of Uncrowned, the date no longer works for the Russian champion, and no reason has been given. “Date doesn’t work for Makhachev anymore. Unclear why,” Helwani wrote on X. The UFC had not commented as of publication.
What we know about Makhachev’s exit
The fight was never made official. As VF Comunica reported on Oct. 14, the UFC was working to book the bout in Toronto, but no contract had been signed. Helwani says the promotion is now looking for a new headliner and has no target yet.
Makhachev, 34, is 29-1. In November 2025, at UFC 322 in New York, he took the belt from Jack Della Maddalena and became a two-division champion.
In August, at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, he made his first title defense with a unanimous decision over Ian Garry. It was his 17th straight win in the UFC, the longest streak in company history.
Carlos Prates’ numbers ahead of a title shot
For Prates, the news delays the biggest fight of his career. The 33-year-old from São Paulo, who trains at Fighting Nerds, is No. 2 in the official welterweight rankings, with a 24-7 record and 19 wins by knockout.
He is riding three straight knockouts: Geoff Neal, former champion Leon Edwards and Della Maddalena, whom he stopped in May in the UFC Perth main event in Australia. His only UFC loss came against Garry, now ranked No. 1, in April 2025.
A fight with Makhachev would pit two opposite styles against each other. Prates is a striker, while the champion comes from sambo, a combat sport built on takedowns, control and submissions, which he has ranked above Jiu-Jitsu in more than one interview.
Last week, Charles Oliveira picked Prates to win and said the path to beating the champion is through kicks, away from the mat. Oliveira knows the matchup well: Makhachev submitted him with an arm-triangle choke at UFC 280 in 2022.
The UFC’s options for Toronto
Without the champion, the UFC has to decide what to do with its top contender: hold him for Makhachev’s return or match him against another top name. U.S. media have floated Michael Morales, ranked No. 3, as a possible opponent, but no one at the UFC has confirmed it.
Another option for the top of the card is a women’s title fight. Flyweight champion Natalia Silva could face Canada’s Jasmine Jasudavicius, who called for a rematch after beating Erin Blanchfield at UFC Edmonton. That would put a Canadian fighter in the main event in Canada.
What should the UFC do: keep Carlos Prates waiting for Makhachev or book him against Michael Morales in Toronto? Tell us in the comments.
Read more:
- Carlos Prates vs. Makhachev targeted for UFC 336 in Toronto
- Charles Oliveira picks Carlos Prates to beat Islam Makhachev
- What is sambo and how is it different from Jiu-Jitsu
