Carlos Prates Vows to Retire Islam Makhachev as Michael Morales Makes UFC 336 Title Prediction

Carlos Prates was originally supposed to challenge the reigning 170-pound champion, Islam Makhachev, in January. Even the Russian phenom had said yes to the bout, agreeing verbally. But later, Makhachev changed his mind and now wants Prates to win another bout before fighting for the title.

The UFC was unhappy with Makhachev backing out but decided not to strip him. However, in his absence, "The Nightmare" and Morales will now battle for interim gold at UFC 336, and the winner will face Makhachev later that year to unify the titles.

Carlos Prates' Fires Double Warning While Michael Morales Shares His UFC 336 Prediction

During the UFC 336 pre-fight presser, Carlos Prates vowed to retire Islam Makhachev while also warning Michael Morales. He quipped:

"Don't hide. After knocking Morales out, I'm gonna come back and retire Islam Makhachev from MMA." The 27-year-old Morales, however, is not buying the Brazilian's prediction. In fact, he is confident that the belt is coming with him to Ecuador.

"I'm going to face Islam Makhachev. It's coming back to Ecuador."

Check out Carlos Prates and Michael Morales' comments below:

Why Isn't Islam Makhachev Fighting At UFC 336? 

Islam Makhachev's close friend and former double champion Daniel Cormier has given his two cents on why the pound-for-pound king is not game to fight Carlos Prates in January 2027.

Makhachev's last outing at UFC 330 against Ian Machado Garry was one of the toughest fights he had in a while, as per "DC". Therefore, Cormier believes the Russian may have felt it was wiser to take ample time to recover before facing a knockout artist like Carlos Prates.

Against Garry, Makhachev cruised to a unanimous decision victory, as many expected. However, the Dagestani wrestling maestro made a few mistakes and sustained damage to his face during the clinch exchanges. If Garry had shown a bit of a killer instinct, he could have dethroned Makhachev.

Perhaps the 34-year-old wants to address the mistakes he made against the Dubliner and develop a game plan that will help him to stay out of Prates' firing range when they eventually lock horns. This could explain why Makhachev is taking more time before his next title defence.

Check out Daniel Cormier's comments about Islam Makhachev below: