Dana White Furious After Islam Makhachev Backs Out of UFC Bout

Dana White confirmed he is furious after lightweight champion Islam Makhachev verbally agreed to defend his title against Carlos Prates at UFC 336 in January — then pulled out.

The UFC president revealed the news in an interview with The Mac Life on Wednesday.

“Yeah, it was verbally agreed to,” White said when asked if Makhachev had committed to facing Prates.

The champion’s decision forced the UFC to scrap the original main event for the January 30 card.

Instead, the promotion created an interim welterweight title fight between Prates and Michael Morales to headline UFC 336.

White did not hide his frustration with Makhachev’s activity level as champion.

“Being the champ, I don’t really expect you to fight three times a year, but twice would be nice,” he said at a press conference following UFC 333.

The UFC president suggested that financial security might be driving Makhachev’s decision to fight less frequently.

“I think it’s money,” White explained.

“Once you get so much money — when guys are young and hungry, they want to fight a lot because they want to get paid. But once you start to get enough money, you don’t have to fight all the time.”

Makhachev has since defended his choice to decline the Prates fight.

The champion argues that the matchup makes little sense for his career at this stage.

Makhachev pointed out that he recently defeated Ian Machado Garry, who had previously beaten Prates.

According to Makhachev, fighting Prates would add little value to his resume given this chain of victories.

The lightweight champion has not fought since October 2025.

That means by the time UFC 336 arrives in January 2027, Makhachev will have been out of the cage for over 15 months.

Under the UFC’s standard champion clause in the promotional agreement, titleholders are generally expected to defend their belt at least once per calendar year.

White’s public criticism suggests Makhachev is falling short of that expectation.

The UFC president has historically been vocal about champions who do not stay active.

In the past, White has criticized fighters like Jon Jones and Kamaru Usman for long layoffs between title defenses.

Makhachev’s camp has not issued a formal statement beyond the champion’s own comments.

Petr Yan, a former UFC champion and teammate of Makhachev, offered a neutral take on the situation.

“I don’t know what the reasons were,” Yan said.

“But if Islam’s team made that decision, there must be an explanation, and he can tell you better and more accurately himself.”

The interim welterweight title fight between Prates and Morales now carries added weight.

Both fighters will compete for a temporary belt while the welterweight division sorts out its champion.

Prates, a rising contender at 170 pounds, was originally scheduled to challenge for the lightweight title.

Morales, an undefeated prospect, now gets a sudden opportunity to fight for gold.

The UFC 336 card is scheduled for January 30, 2027, at a venue yet to be announced.

White’s comments have reignited debate about fighter pay and activity levels in the sport.

Critics argue that if champions are paid more, they should be required to fight more often.

Others point out that Makhachev has cleared out much of the lightweight division and may lack compelling challengers.

The UFC’s lightweight division currently has no clear No. 1 contender.

Justin Gaethje holds the lightweight title, but his status remains uncertain.

White recently said Gaethje is deciding whether to retire or continue fighting.

Alexander Volkanovski has expressed interest in moving up to lightweight for a third title shot.

But White said the decision rests with Gaethje, who is currently participating in the 2026 Internet Invitational golf tournament.

Makhachev’s withdrawal from the Prates fight complicates the lightweight picture further.

If Makhachev is unwilling to fight frequently, the UFC may need to consider stripping him of the title.

White has not threatened to strip Makhachev publicly, but his frustration was clear in his remarks.

The UFC president’s tone suggested that the relationship between the promotion and its lightweight champion is under strain.

Makhachev, who trains under Khabib Nurmagomedov at the American Kickboxing Academy, has been selective about his opponents.