“Fight the Best Dude”: Henry Cejudo Backs Islam Makhachev’s Welterweight Contender Callout
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The former two-division champion believes Carlos Prates vs. Michael Morales is the right matchup for the welterweight division.
After defending his welterweight title against Ian Garry in August, Islam Makhachev expressed interest in fighting Carlos Prates.
However, instead of booking that matchup, the UFC has scheduled a title eliminator between the No. 1 and No. 3-ranked contenders, Prates and Morales. While Prates expressed his frustration and called Makhachev a ‘coward’ for allegedly avoiding the fight, Henry Cejudo defended the champion.
Henry Cejudo Backs Islam Makhachev
On his Pound-For-Pound podcast, Henry Cejudo said that Carlos Prates vs. Michael Morales is a better matchup than either fighter facing Islam Makhachev right now. Both Prates and Morales have made strong cases for themselves as title contenders through their UFC runs. As a result, Cejudo believes their fight will settle the debate over who deserves the next title shot.
“Islam Makhachev is right on this one. I was thinking the same thing. If I was Islam, I’d be like, these guys don’t fight each other. Let me fight the best dude,” Cejudo said.
Prates vs. Morales is scheduled for the co-main event at UFC 336 in January 2027, with the interim welterweight title on the line. The winner could then face the reigning champion to unify the titles in the second or third quarter of the year.
More on Islam Makhachev’s Title Defense
Islam Makhachev was initially rumoured to face Carlos Prates at UFC 336. However, the UFC put an end to those talks last Saturday by booking the interim title fight between Prates and Morales instead.
Makhachev’s apparent withdrawal from the potential matchup has reportedly irked some contenders in the division. In response, the champion pointed to Prates’ loss to Ian Garry as a major reason he was not interested in the fight.
"They offered me a fight with Prates, who recently lost to , someone I beat. If I beat him, Morales would already be next in line, who's not fighting and waiting for. Just let them fight, and we will figure out who's the real challenger," the champion said.
After his first title defence, Makhachev had expressed his intention to return to action before Ramadan in 2027. However, his decision has also drawn criticism from UFC President Dana White.
Nonetheless, the stage is set for the leading welterweight contenders to settle the debate inside the Octagon. Only time will tell who Makhachev faces next in the division.
