Islam Makhachev's UFC 336 Exit Prompts Interim Title Bout And Elevates Joshua Van To Headliner

Following Islam Makhachev's exit from UFC 336, the UFC restructured the Toronto card by elevating flyweight champion Joshua Van against Manel Kape to the headliner and booking Carlos Prates against unbeaten 19-0 Michael Morales for the interim welterweight belt.

The sudden withdrawal forced matchmakers to quickly overhaul their marquee plans for Canada.

UFC 336 is scheduled to take place in Toronto on January 30, 2027.

The event was originally anchored by a massive welterweight title defense featuring Makhachev.

Instead, the pay-per-view lineup will now look significantly different at the very top of the bill.

SHUFFLING THE TORONTO SHOWDOWN

The promotion had planned a championship doubleheader to treat fight fans north of the border.

Makhachev's proposed defense against Carlos Prates had been penciled in as the evening's main event.

Behind them, UFC Flyweight Champion Joshua Van was slated to defend his title against Manel Kape in the co-headliner.

When the welterweight kingpin removed himself from the date, executives had to pivot fast.

The flyweight title clash between Van and Kape was immediately moved into the premier main-event slot.

Meanwhile, Prates was kept on the card in a freshly minted title clash.

He will now battle Ecuador's undefeated phenom Michael Morales for the interim welterweight championship.

That 170-pound collision will serve as the co-main event of the Toronto showcase.

A VERBAL AGREEMENT FALLS APART

The collapse of the initial headliner came as a surprise given how far discussions had advanced.

UFC CEO Dana White addressed the situation directly during a media scrum in Las Vegas.

White was in Nevada on Wednesday afternoon promoting his PBR bull, Dana White's Playmate.

During the media appearance, White revealed that the Makhachev-Prates matchup was at the finish line.

"Yeah, it was verbally agreed to," White confirmed to reporters, as reported by MMA Junkie.

White explained that the wheels had already been in motion behind the scenes.

Official bout agreements were ready to follow after Makhachev verbally accepted the challenge from the Brazilian contender.

Despite that initial agreement, the planned title clash fell apart before contracts were signed.

Rather than competing in January, the 35-year-old champion decided to sit out until after Ramadan.

DANA WHITE EXPRESSES FRUSTRATION

A visibly frustrated White did not hold back when analyzing the sequence of events.

The UFC boss reiterated that his primary desire is to see champions defend their titles regularly.

White highlighted how lengthy stretches of championship inactivity back up entire divisions.

"Being the champ, I don't really expect you to fight three times a year," White stated.

"But twice would be nice," the UFC CEO added pointedly.

White was asked why certain reigning champions become far less active once they reach the pinnacle.

The promoter offered a simple, candid explanation regarding fighter motivation.

"I think it’s money; I mean, once you get so much money," White explained to the media.

"When guys are young and hungry, they want to fight a lot because they want to get paid," White noted.

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

CARLOS PRATES FIRES BACK

Makhachev's decision to walk away from the January date drew sharp anger from his scheduled opponent.

Prates had already centered his entire training preparation around facing the Dagestani champion.

In an interview with reporter Laerte Viana, the Brazilian contender openly vented his annoyance.

"He comes out saying he wants to be an active champion, this and that," Prates said.

"Hunter [Campbell] even said that date was reserved for him," Prates revealed.

According to Prates, the champion simply abandoned the plan without an acceptable competitive reason.

"Then he just came out and said he didn't want it," Prates explained.

Prates did not mince words when describing Makhachev's withdrawal from UFC 336.

"He chickened out," Prates asserted.

THE PERFORMANCE INSTITUTE QUOTE

Prates took his criticism a step further by turning Makhachev's own famous words against him.

A celebrated quote from Makhachev is prominently displayed on the wall at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas.

"What does this title represent? It means you are the best in the world," the inspirational wall quote 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!"

Makhachev first uttered those defiant words back in October 2023.

At UFC 294, Makhachev accepted a short-notice rematch with Alexander Volkanovski after Charles Oliveira suffered an injury.

The champion repeated the exact same motto on social media ahead of UFC 311.

On that occasion, Arman Tsarukyan withdrew on weigh-in day due to injury, and Renato Moicano stepped in as a replacement.

Prates took a screenshot of that famous wall quote and shared it directly to his Instagram Story.

He tagged Makhachev alongside a lying-face emoji to question the champion's integrity.

Prates overlaid the post with the track Don't Lie by The Black Eyed Peas to mock the withdrawal.

The social media post implied that Makhachev abandoned his own core principles by refusing the fight.

THE INTERIM TITLE COLLISION

Rather than stewing over the missed opportunity, Prates immediately turned his focus toward UFC 336.

He recognized that a duel with Michael Morales offers a direct path toward undisputed gold.

"The situation I'm in now is that I have to beat Morales and win the interim belt," Prates stated.

The matchup pits two of the most dangerous, high-caliber strikers in the welterweight division against each other.

Prates has built a fearsome reputation as a devastating knockout artist inside the Octagon.

Morales enters the contest carrying a flawless professional mixed martial arts record of 19-0.