Prates blasts Makhachev for ducking title fight: 'He chickened out'

Carlos Prates has publicly accused UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev of backing out of a scheduled welterweight title fight, saying the Brazilian was already in full training camp when the promotion called to tell him the bout was off.

Prates, who earned his title shot by going 7-1 in the UFC with every win coming by bonus-earning knockout, was set to challenge Makhachev at 170 pounds on January 30. When Makhachev withdrew, the UFC restructured the card, moving Prates into a co-main event interim title fight against undefeated Michael Morales at UFC 336, with the flyweight championship bout between Joshua Van and Manel Kape now headlining.

“He comes out saying he wants to be an active champion, this and that,” Prates told Laerte Viana. “Hunter [Campbell] even said that date was reserved for him. Then he just came out and said he didn’t want it. He chickened out.”

Prates made no attempt to hide his frustration at the timing of the change, framing it as a personal slight after 17 years in the sport.

“I’ve been in this game for 17 years, and when it finally came time for me to fulfill my dream of becoming a champion, this dude pulls some bullsht like that,” he said. “I was really pissed off. Now Morales is going to pay the price, and then I’m going to get him, because he acted like a fcking a*hole with this btch-ass attitude.”

Despite the anger, Prates acknowledged there is little he can do but refocus. “I was pretty pissed off, but what can you do?” he said. “The situation I’m in now is that I have to beat Morales and win the interim belt. I’m going to focus on him, then I’m going to come back and beat Makhachev twice as hard just to teach him a lesson.”

Morales enters the fight with a perfect 19-0 professional record, having won all seven of his UFC appearances. Prates will need to get past the unbeaten Ecuadorian before any rematch conversation with Makhachev can begin.