- Oct 16, 2026
- 0
- 0
SportsMafia Wire graphic. Team logos and player headshots via ESPN.
UFC CEO Dana White announced Saturday that an interim welterweight championship will be contested in January after Islam Makhachev declined to defend his title.
Makhachev (29-1) had been scheduled to headline UFC 336 on Jan. 30 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. The lightweight champion offered no reason for withdrawing, though he has indicated he prefers to compete after Ramadan, which begins in February. His earliest possible return would be May.
White stated that divisions cannot be held up in this manner.
The promotion has elevated a flyweight title fight between Joshua Van (18-2) and Manel Kape (23-7) to the main event. The interim welterweight bout between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales will serve as co-main event.
Prates (24-7) has won seven of eight UFC bouts since his 2024 debut, all by knockout, with victories over Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards. Morales (19-0) remains unbeaten in the promotion with seven consecutive wins, five by knockout and four in the first round. Makhachev wrote on social media that he will return once the real contender is determined.
Source: ESPN - Sat Oct 24, 7:39 PM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).