Islam Makhachev vs. Carlos Prates at UFC 336 Called 'Not Close to Reality'

Islam Makhachev owns the longest winning streak in UFC history at 17 consecutive fights. He extended his professional record to 29-1 after a unanimous-decision win over Ian Garry at UFC 330 in August, marking his first successful welterweight title defense. Before moving up in weight, Makhachev dominated the lightweight division, winning the belt and defending it a record four times.

Recent reports have linked the champion's next title defense to UFC 336 in Toronto on Jan. 30. While Carlos Prates has dominated the matchup discussions, a new update directly from Makhachev's manager has poured cold water on the fight.

Rizvan Magomedov Downplays Islam’s Makhachev's Next Opponent Talk

During a recent interview, Islam Makhachev’s manager, Rizvan Magomedov, stated that no opponent or fight date is locked in at this moment. While negotiations continue, he called the rumored January 30 booking highly speculative. However, he added that an official announcement should come soon.

"As of now, it's not close to becoming a reality. It's all just rumors and talk. Negotiations are ongoing, but confirming he'll fight on a certain date and against a certain opponent is still far from realistic. I think there will be an announcement soon about what's next."

When the reporter asked if the upcoming announcement would surprise people or if it is what everyone expects, Magomedov smiled without making any comments. When further pressed on who he would prefer Makhachev to face, Magomedov noted that on the sporting side, both are good, tough, and dangerous opponents, adding, "but Prates is more interesting from a media standpoint."

After defending his title against Ian Machado Garry in a grueling, five-round battle -- with the judges scoring the bout 49-46, 49-46, and 48-47 -- Makhachev confirmed he underwent three MRIs. The scans revealed a few minor issues in his spine that were not serious, but he noted that he needed some time to recover.

When reporters pressed him to share a potential timeline for his return to the Octagon, he said, "We’ll wait for the UFC to call. I think the ideal scenario would be to fight before Ramadan. Ramadan starts for us in February. A date before Ramadan would be ideal."

Later, a report from UFC analyst Alvaro Colmenero suggested that the promotion might actively be considering a matchup between Makhachev and Prates for January, as both fighters are already training hard in their respective camps. Colmenero wrote, "If the negotiations continue on their course, we'll see the Brazilian fighting against Islam Makhachev next January 30 at #UFC336 in Toronto."

Prates’ momentum comes from knocking out his last three opponents, including two former UFC champions. This run brought his UFC record to 7-1. He last won at UFC Fight Night 275 in Perth, where he stopped former champion Jack Della Maddalena with a third-round TKO at 3:17.

The No. 1-ranked welterweight called out Islam Makhachev immediately after the victory. Makhachev later called Prates his most interesting option, but according to Ariel Helwani, the promotion is also considering a fight between Shavkat Rakhmonov and Michael Morales for UFC 336.

Until the UFC officially confirms a bout, the matchup is not set. However, whoever gets the fight will try to end the champion's 17-fight winning streak.