MAKHACHEV vs PRATES TARGETED FOR UFC 336 IN TORONTO
“We have to fight before Ramadan, 100 per cent.”
Islam Makhachev's second welterweight title defense is being lined up against knockout artist Carlos Prates to open the UFC's 2027 numbered schedule.
"We have to fight before Ramadan, 100 per cent."
Islam Makhachev said that right after UFC 330. Now the date he wanted is taking shape in front of him.
Reports on Tuesday say Makhachev vs. Carlos Prates is expected to headline UFC 336 on January 30 in Toronto, Canada. It would be the first numbered UFC event of 2027.
Why Toronto Matters Now
Makhachev is 29-1 and already owns the welterweight belt. He took the 170-pound title from Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 last November.
In August, he defended it at UFC 330. He beat Ian Machado Garry over five rounds to keep the belt.
A second defense in January fits his plan. Ramadan starts at the start of February 2027, and Makhachev wants this fight done before it begins.
The Nightmare Is Here
Prates has earned this talk the hard way. He knocked out Della Maddalena earlier this year to run his win streak to three straight.
That win matters for one simple reason. Della Maddalena is the man Makhachev beat to become champion at 170 pounds.
Prates calls himself "The Nightmare" for a reason. He finishes fights, and he has been clear that he believes he is next in line.
"We have to fight before Ramadan, 100 per cent."
— Islam Makhachev, after UFC 330
A Race Against The Calendar
Makhachev is 34. He said it himself after UFC 330 — he is not in his twenties anymore, and he wants to fight as soon as possible.
He also said he has no big injuries to fix. That makes a January 30 main event realistic, not rushed.
Nothing is official yet. The report, from MMA reporter Álvaro Colmenero, says the fight happens if negotiations stay on course.
If they do, Toronto gets a champion in a hurry against a challenger who knocks people out. Who blinks first — the wrestler or The Nightmare?
