In a recent episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, MMA insider Ariel Helwani expressed his views on the UFC’s decision to arrange an interim welterweight title fight. The bout, initially set to feature Islam Makhachev against Carlos Prates at UFC 336 in Toronto, has taken a different turn as Makhachev opted for a longer break, planning to return post-Ramadan.
Despite Prates being recognized as the top contender, Makhachev disagreed, leading to a matchup between Prates and Michael Morales for the interim title instead. This decision sparked a heated exchange on social media, with Prates accusing Makhachev of avoiding the fight.
Helwani pointed out that while Makhachev’s desire for a longer recovery period is understandable, the need for an interim title seems unwarranted given that Makhachev had just defended his title against Ian Machado Garry two months prior. He stated, “There should not be an interim title because he just fought, at this point, two months ago.”
Furthermore, Helwani criticized Makhachev’s justification for not facing Prates, which was based on Prates’ previous loss to Garry. He argued that Prates has since demonstrated his worthiness as a contender with two consecutive finishes. Helwani emphasized the importance of fighters receiving fair compensation, expressing disappointment that the anticipated fight between Makhachev and Prates did not materialize.
“I’m happy there’s an interim title because they’re getting the perks. It is annoying that it’s not Carlos Prates vs. Islam Makhachev because that’s the fight that they wanted to make,” Helwani remarked.
As the situation unfolds, the MMA community remains eager to see how the interim title fight will impact the welterweight division.
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