Dana White explains why interim welterweight title is being introduced while Islam Makhachev is still champion

Carlos Prates fights Michael Morales for an interim welterweight title at UFC 336, but why exactly is a new championship being introduced with Islam Makhachev still holding his belt?

Original plans for UFC 336 called for Makhachev to defend his title in the main event against Prates, but suddenly the reigning welterweight champion became unavailable and plans changed for the organization. On Saturday at UFC 333, UFC CEO Dana White addressed the situation and explained why the promotion decided to introduce a new belt rather than simply declaring Prates vs. Morales as the No. 1 fight.

“On average, Islam fights once a year,” White said at the post-fight press conference. “It was scheduled for January and then he said, ‘I don’t want to fight until Ramadan.’

“You can’t contain divisions like this. You have to keep moving forward and this fight makes sense.”

Makhachev last fought in August where he scored a unanimous decision victory over Ian Machado Garry in his last title loss.

Although there was speculation that an injury delayed his return, White insisted Makhachev gave “no reason” for the delay in his return.

Ramadan is celebrated from February 8 to March 8, 2027 and Makhachev always avoids fighting during this period due to his religion.

During the UFC 333 broadcast, it was mentioned that Makhachev could be ready to return as soon as May, but the promotion opted not to wait that long and introduce an interim title in his absence.

Now, Prates and Morales fight for that belt, with the winner expected to welcome Makhachev to the octagon when he’s ready to fight again.