Prates and Morales to fight for interim UFC welterweight title as Makhachev sits out UFC 336

Carlos Prates and Michael Morales will meet for the interim UFC welterweight title at UFC 336, scheduled for January 30, 2027, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, with reigning champion Islam Makhachev unavailable to compete.

Prates (24-7) arrives on the back of three consecutive knockout or TKO victories and has finished all seven of his UFC wins. Morales (19-0) enters unbeaten and will be looking to keep his perfect record intact. The winner is expected to face Makhachev in a title unification bout.

Prates has already taken aim at the absent champion. Responding to a fan on Instagram on Friday, he questioned Makhachev’s appetite for competition: “I heard that Islam don’t even wanna fight bro. How he gonna beat me?”

Makhachev (29-1) claimed the welterweight title against Jack Della Maddalena last year and made a successful defence against Ian Garry in August. It was Garry who handed Prates his only UFC defeat, adding a layer of significance to Prates’ pursuit of gold.

Also confirmed for the Toronto card, flyweight champion Joshua Van will put his 125-pound title on the line against Manel Kape. Van, one of the youngest champions in UFC history, faces a stern test in Kape, a former Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight champion. The UFC announced both matchups on Saturday during its UFC 333 broadcast.