Dana White Calls Out Islam Makhachev After UFC 336 Talks Collapsed Over Money

UFC CEO Dana White revealed Islam Makhachev verbally agreed to defend his title against Carlos Prates at UFC 336 before talks collapsed over fighter activity and money.

The high-stakes matchup was originally slated to headline the organization's pay-per-view event in Toronto, Canada.

Fight fans expected the welterweight champion to make a quick return to the Octagon.

Instead, negotiations between the promotion and the reigning champion disintegrated near the finish line.

The unexpected collapse forced UFC executives to reconstruct their entire pay-per-view lineup on short notice.

Now, the promoter has publicly addressed what went wrong behind closed doors.

A FRUSTRATING LAS VEGAS REVELATION

White addressed the ongoing controversy during a media scrum on Wednesday afternoon in Las Vegas.

The UFC boss appeared at the event primarily to promote his PBR bucking bull, known as Dana White's Playmate.

However, reporters immediately shifted the conversation toward the undisputed welterweight division.

White did not hide his agitation regarding the sudden cancellation of the planned Toronto headliner.

He clarified that Islam Makhachev had initially agreed to step into the cage against Carlos Prates.

"Yeah, it was verbally agreed to," White told reporters when asked about the proposed championship clash.

According to White, organizational bout agreements were already being prepared for both camps.

The contest was positioned to anchor a major championship doubleheader in Ontario.

Then, the momentum ground to an unexpected halt before signed contracts materialized.

MONEY AND CHAMPION INACTIVITY

The UFC boss was directly questioned about why certain titleholders fight far less frequently than others.

White offered a blunt assessment regarding modern championship psychology and financial security.

“I think it’s money; I mean, once you get so much money. When guys are young and hungry, they want to fight a lot because they want to get paid,” White said.

In White's view, life-changing purses directly alter an athlete's willingness to endure grueling fight camps.

Rising contenders often lobby for rapid turnarounds to secure prize money and build their brand.

Established champions often take a completely different financial posture.

"But once you start to get enough money, you don’t have to fight all the time," White concluded.

White emphasized that the sport operates best when its marquee stars compete regularly.

He made it clear that long layoffs from divisional kings disrupt the entire mixed martial arts landscape.

"Being the champ, I don't really expect you to fight three times a year. But twice would be nice," White added.

His remarks highlighted a growing rift regarding championship activity and contract value.

CARLOS PRATES REACTS WITH FURY

The sudden fight cancellation left Brazilian knockout specialist Carlos Prates furious.

Prates had already shifted his training schedule specifically to prepare for a five-round battle against Makhachev.

He claimed that UFC Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell had personally reserved the January date for the title defense.

"He comes out saying he wants to be an active champion, this and that," Prates told reporter Laerte Viana.

Prates did not mince words when describing Makhachev's eventual decision to pass on the date.

"Hunter even said that date was reserved for him," Prates continued.

"Then he just came out and said he didn't want it," the Brazilian said.

"He chickened out," Prates stated plainly.

Prates insisted he would not dwell on the missed opportunity to capture the undisputed belt in January.

He immediately recalibrated his focus toward the replacement matchup presented by the UFC matchmakers.

"The situation I'm in now is that I have to beat Morales," Prates noted.

WORDS ON THE PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE WALL

Prates quickly escalated the public feud by utilizing Islam Makhachev's own famous words against him.

The Brazilian contender took aim at an inspirational quote displayed prominently inside the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.

The quote commemorates Makhachev's historic willingness to defend his crown against anyone.

“What does this title represent? It means you are the best in the world,” the Performance Institute wall reads.

“And if you are the best in the world, it doesn’t matter who is going to be there across from you," the quote continues.

"What could I say? No? NEVER. Let’s do this!” the wall statement concludes.

Makhachev originally coined that phrase in October 2023 ahead of UFC 294.

At that time, Alexander Volkanovski stepped in on extremely short notice to replace an injured Charles Oliveira.

Makhachev repeated the exact same phrase publicly during the chaotic buildup to UFC 311.

Arman Tsarukyan suffered an injury on weigh-in day, forcing Renato Moicano to step into the title fight.

Prates decided to confront that legacy directly on social media.

On Wednesday, Prates posted an image of Makhachev's Performance Institute quote directly to his Instagram Story.

He tagged Makhachev alongside a lying-face emoji.

Prates set the post to play over the track "Don't Lie" by The Black Eyed Peas.

The post suggested that Makhachev had abandoned the core fighter ethos he once championed.

MAKHACHEV'S TIMELINE AND RAMADAN PLANS

Makhachev has defended his competitive schedule by pointing toward personal and religious commitments.

The 35-year-old protege of Khabib Nurmagomedov has decided to remain sidelined until after the observance of Ramadan.

Observing the holy month of dawn-to-dusk fasting makes full championship training camps impossible for devout Muslim athletes.

Makhachev previously argued that contenders like Prates and Michael Morales should fight each other first.

He expressed the view that the rising challengers needed an eliminator bout to determine who truly earned a shot at his belt.

However, sitting out until the spring pushes his return deep into the calendar year.