The UFC is starting 2027 with one of the most exciting fights it could possibly make. At UFC 336, Carlos Prates and Michael Morales will meet in the co-main event for the interim welterweight championship. Following UFC 333, Dana White announced that a planned title fight between Islam Makhachev and Carlos Prates would not take place in January, as the welterweight champion wanted additional time to prepare and would not be ready to compete at the start of the year. The decision immediately sparked debate. Makhachev last defended his title in August, meaning an interim champion will be crowned less than six months after his most recent title defense.
Makhachev Can Be the Best and Still Be Criticized About Activity
The UFC’s decision raises an interesting question about consistency. If Makhachev can have an interim champion crowned less than six months removed from his last fight, why has a similar conversation not taken place at light heavyweight with Carlos Ulberg? Ulberg has been sidelined since UFC 327 after suffering a fully ruptured ACL, an injury that carries a much longer recovery timeline than simply taking extra time between training camps. The difference is the division itself. Welterweight is currently one of the strongest and deepest divisions in the sport. Makhachev sits atop the weight class as the pound-for-pound king, but behind him is a stacked group of contenders that includes Carlos Prates, Michael Morales, Sean Brady and Shavkat Rakhmonov, Ian Machado Garry.
The UFC has a difficult choice to make. It can either allow the division to sit idle while waiting for Makhachev’s return, or it can keep the momentum moving. There seems to be a belief among some fans that any criticism of Makhachev’s activity is an attack on his greatness. It isn’t. Makhachev is the best fighter in the world. There is no debate there. At the same time, it is fair to wish he fought more often. At 35 years old, Makhachev likely has a limited number of championship fights remaining. If he only competes once per year, contenders will continue eliminating one another before they ever receive an opportunity against him. The loser of Prates vs. Morales, for example, may never get a chance to challenge Makhachev for the undisputed title. The situation is not black and white. Makhachev can simultaneously be the best fighter in the sport and less active than fans and the UFC would prefer.
Why Carlos Prates Deserves the Opportunity to Fight for Interim Belt
In my opinion, the interim welterweight championship is less about Islam Makhachev’s inactivity and more about the fact that the division is simply too strong to put on hold. More specifically, it is about rewarding Carlos Prates for what he has done. Prates is the clear-cut number one contender in the welterweight division. His last two victories came against former UFC welterweight champions Leon Edwards and Jack Della Maddalena, solidifying his position at the front of the line of welterweight contenders. What makes Prates’ rise unique is not just that he keeps winning. It is how he is winning. In just eight UFC appearances, Prates has earned seven Performance of the Night bonuses. That achievement is remarkable on its own, but the historical context makes it even more impressive. His seventh Performance of the Night bonus tied him with Conor McGregor and Tom Aspinall for fourth-most in UFC history despite both fighters requiring significantly more appearances to reach that number. McGregor needed fourteen UFC fights. Aspinall needed nine. Prates reached the same milestone in only eight.
The only fighters in UFC history with more Performance of the Night bonuses are Charles Oliveira (14), Kevin Holland (9), and Paul Craig (8). What separates Prates from those names is the pace at which he is compiling these accolades. Oliveira needed 38 UFC fights to earn 14 bonuses. Holland earned nine through 29 appearances. Craig accumulated eight over 21 fights. Prates is already knocking on the door of those records before even reaching double-digit UFC appearances.
It is not about what the UFC can do for you, but what you can do for the UFC. In the three years Carlos Prates has fought in the UFC, he has become the divisions most entertaining fighter of all time. Throughout the history of welterweight division in the UFC, only legends such as Chris Lytle (10 fight bonuses), Matt Brown (9), and Stephen Thompson (8) have earned more total fight bonuses. Each of those fighters built their legacies over long UFC careers filled with memorable performances. Prates is already within striking distance of their records after only eight fights.
That is why I believe the UFC booked this interim title fight. Prates thought he was getting a championship opportunity in January. Makhachev was not ready to fight. Prates was. Rather than asking the hottest contender in the division to sit on the sidelines, the UFC chose to reward him with championship stakes and championship pay. Because at the end of the day, an interim title fight is often just a glorified number one contender bout. In this case, Carlos Prates already was the number one contender. This is how the UFC rewards a fighter who has done so much for them.
Final Thoughts
Ultimately, the interim welterweight championship is not an indictment of Islam Makhachev. It is a reflection of the strength of the welterweight division and a reward for a contender who has earned his opportunity. Carlos Prates has quickly become one of the UFC’s most exciting fighters, and rather than asking him to wait indefinitely for a title shot, the UFC chose to keep the division moving. Whether fans agree with interim championships or not, Prates vs. Morales gives two elite contenders a chance to prove who truly deserves to face Makhachev when the undisputed champion returns and when the dust settles, I expect Carlos Prates to leave UFC 336 with gold around his waist and a date with Makhachev later in 2027.
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