Carlos Prates Breaks Silence With Blunt ‘I’m Not Surprised’ Message After Islam Makhachev’s UFC 336 Exit
Carlos Prates issued a bold social media response after reports confirmed Islam Makhachev is officially out of their planned UFC 336 main event matchup.
Islam Makhachev holds an incredible 17-fight winning streak, and for a while, it looked like Carlos Prates would get the opportunity to end the welterweight champion's historic run.
However, recent reports show that UFC’s behind-the-scenes work for a potential Makhachev vs. Prates bout in early 2027 has stalled. Matchmakers are now reportedly exploring other options for the champion's next defense. But Prates seems not surprised by the latest development.
Carlos Prates Reacts to Islam Makhachev's Reported UFC 336 Exit
The Dagestani fighter last competed at UFC 330 in August, defeating Ian Garry by unanimous decision in a grueling five-round bout. The victory extended his professional record to 29-1 and marked his first successful welterweight title defense. Before moving up in weight, Makhachev dominated the lightweight division, winning the championship belt and defending it a record four times.
After the fight, Makhachev stated he wanted to return to the octagon before Ramadan in early 2027. He noted that three separate MRI scans revealed minor issues in his spine that needed some time to recover.
Soon after, reports emerged that the promotion planned to match him against Carlos Prates at UFC 336 in Toronto on Jan. 30, coming just days after Prates called himself the welterweight champion's worst nightmare.
However, AG Fight reported on Friday that Makhachev is out of the UFC 336 main event, penning, “BREAKING! Islam Makhachev was originally scheduled for the UFC 336 card, but he's out of the main event. The event is exploring new possibilities for the show!”
Following the update, the rising contender made a bold statement on his Instagram story. He posted a video clip of Nate Diaz's famous post-fight interview after submitting Conor McGregor at UFC 196 in 2016, where Diaz could be seen saying, "I'm not surprised, motherf—ers."
Recently, his manager also tried to downplay the timeline, saying, "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."
Prates, 33, holds a 24-7 professional record and ranks as the No. 1 contender at welterweight. He boasts a 7-1 run in the UFC, securing all seven of his promotional victories by knockout or technical knockout.
His recent streak includes stopping Geoff Neal at UFC 319, knocking out Leon Edwards in the second round at UFC 322 and finishing Jack Della Maddalena in the third round in Perth. After UFC 330, Makhachev called Prates the most deserving challenger in the division, highlighting his high activity rate. So, nobody expected the next update to confirm that Makhachev would be removed from the Jan. 30 card entirely.
