“He Would Be a Weight Bully at 185”: Fans React to Michael Morales Weighing 220 Pounds

Michael Morales will take on No. 2-ranked contender Carlos Prates in an interim welterweight title fight. The bout will co-headline UFC 336, the first numbered event of 2027, in Toronto, Canada, on January 30.

Now, with 90 days remaining before his interim title fight, Morales has revealed that he weighs 220 pounds, which didn’t sit well with many fans. The welterweight contender is often labelled a weight bully, and fans didn’t hesitate to make their opinions known in the comments.

Fans React to Michael Morales’ Weight

Although Michael Morales competes in the 170-pound division, he is known to walk around at 220 to 230 pounds outside of camp. He recently posted an Instagram story showing him weighing 220 pounds on the scale, prompting fans to call him out.

A fan backed Islam Makhachev to beat Morales despite the weight difference. He wrote, “220 pounds or 300 pounds it doesn’t matter. Even if King Kong can make weight, Islam will kill him.”

Another fan wrote, “Cutting 50 lbs in that division just isn’t sustainable. Not to mention how much a cut like that takes out of your chin and cardio. We’ll see him at 185 soon enough, and if he’s still around in his 30s, he’ll most likely fight at 205.”

One fan noted that his weight cut could delay his next fight. He said, “A heavyweight cut for the interim title, and if he wins, he needs plenty of time to recover. I think we will see Makhachev in the Octagon until October 2027.”

A fan wrote, “He would be considered a weight bully even if he fought at 185. Cutting 50 to make 170 is something else.”

“This should not be permissible; he belongs in the weight class above his current one. Dana White is scum,” a fan said.

Makhachev Will Fight the Winner of Carlos Prates vs. Michael Morales

Islam Makhachev was expected to fight Carlos Prates following his win over Ian Garry. However, an interim title bout is now scheduled for January 2027.

Makhachev is expected to return in the second or third quarter of 2027. He has also mentioned that it could be the final fight of his career.

Explaining his absence from the January bout, Makhachev said that both Prates and Morales are worthy opponents and that he wants to fight the best of the two. Hence, he chose to let the interim title fight take place.