Dana White addressed the Islam Makhachev situation during the UFC 333 post-event press conference in Abu Dhabi, clarifying why the lightweight champion will not be defending his title in the immediate future.
When asked about the Toronto main event announcement and why an interim title match was necessary, White explained the circumstances surrounding Makhachev’s scheduling conflict.
“Well, Islam on average competes like once a year. And he was slated for January and then said, ‘I don’t want to compete until after Ramadan.’ And you just you can’t hold up divisions like this. You got to keep moving and this match makes sense,” White stated.
The UFC president revealed that Makhachev provided no explanation for the change in plans. When pressed whether the champion gave a reason for backing out of the January date after initially agreeing to compete before Ramadan, White simply responded, “No, no reason.”
However, Makhachev has addressed his return on social media. Responding to a fan who asked when he would compete again, the reigning champion suggested that his next appearance would depend on the UFC establishing who deserved the opportunity to challenge him.
“As soon as we find out who the real contender is, we’ll be right back!!!” Makhachev wrote.
The decision to introduce an interim title has also drawn criticism from Carlos Prates, who is scheduled to face Michael Morales on January 30. Following the announcement, Prates took to Instagram to question Makhachev’s decision to delay his return, arguing that three months should be enough time for the champion to prepare.
“I’ve been working for my dream to be a champion at 17 years old, and now you postponed it. I’m number 1, I knocked out two former champions while Morales only beat Sean Brady. You told UFC you won’t be ready to fight in 3 months. Bro, you don’t drink, don’t smoke, don’t party and can’t you prepare for a fight in three months? 😂😂
“Let me show you how it’s done. January 30th I’ll knock out Michael Morales, and then I’ll come back to retire you, fujão!”
