Dana White Explains Introduction of Interim Welterweight Title Despite Undisputed Champion Islam Makhachev Being Active

The UFC's recent announcement of an interim title fight between Carlos Prates and Marlon Morales as the co-main event of UFC 336 startled a large chunk of the community, especially since the undisputed champ, Islam Makhachev, showed no intention of taking a long break after his last fight at UFC 330.

UFC CEO Dana White, however, blamed Makhachev for compelling the promotion to take the route. He cited the mutual disagreement over the timeline for Makhachev's next fight as the primary reason for introducing the interim title.

Dana White's Isn't Clear Why Islam Makhachev Rejected the UFC's 'January 2027' Timeline for Next Fight

Avid UFC fans have seen multiple instances of interim titles being introduced, regardless of the division. In most cases, the undisputed champion goes on a hiatus to recover from lingering injuries, which leads to such decisions to keep the division moving.

Lately, Dana White revealed that Makhachev's rejection of the UFC's preferred timeline of "January" 2027 for his next fight influenced the introduction of the interim welterweight title. However, he also counted the reigning undisputed champion's preferred return timeline as a major reason behind the decision.

While addressing the issue during the post-UFC 333 press conference, White didn't sound too pleased about Makhachev's activity rate. Additionally, he revealed that Makhachev wanted to return only after the holy Islamic month of Ramadan in 2027, which left no option for the promotion other than introducing an interim title.

White said, "On average, Islam fights like one time a year. He was slated for January and then said, ‘I don’t want to fight until after Ramadan.' You can’t hold up divisions like this. You’ve got to keep moving, and this fight makes sense."

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While rumors said that an injury caused Makhachev to reject the UFC's offer to return in "January," White clarified that Makhachev had given "no reason" for his denial.

Well, a comparison between Makhachev's case and a similar previous case suggests that the UFC has become far stricter regarding its plans. Lots of fans may remember how Dana White and Co. allowed Jon Jones to stall the heavyweight division by refusing to strip him of the undisputed title for about two years despite his refusal to fight the then-interim champ, Tom Aspinall.

This operational upgrade of the UFC is expected to be appreciated by the community, but only if the same rules apply to every fighter. It remains to be seen if White and Co. manage to avoid exceptions like Jones' case in the future.