Islam Makhachev will not be defending his welterweight belt anytime soon, with an interim-title fight announced for UFC 336 in January.
Saturday brought the unexpected news that Carlos Prates and Michael Morales will headline that event in Toronto, Canada, with the interim welterweight belt on the line.
Makhachev had been rumoured to headline the card at Scotiabank Arena on 30 January, with Prates standing out as his likeliest contender.
However, the Russian, 34, will seemingly take more time out before returning to the Octagon, leading the UFC to announce Prates vs Morales during UFC 333 on Saturday.
Makhachev is the UFC’s pound-for-pound No 1 fighter and last fought in August, outpointing Ireland’s Ian Machado Garry. With that, the former lightweight king retained the welterweight title for the first time and reached 17 straight wins, a UFC record. His win streak dates back to 2015.
Meanwhile, Prates is 7-1 in the UFC with seven KO wins, including against ex-champions Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards. The Brazilian’s only UFC loss was a decision defeat by Machado Garry. The 33-year-old is 24-7 overall.
And Morales is 7-0 in the UFC with five KO wins. The Ecuadoran, 27, is 19-0 overall.