Ariel Helwani Offers Candid Opinion on UFC's Interim Welterweight Title Booking
MMA insider Ariel Helwani recently shared his straightforward view on the UFC scheduling an interim welterweight title fight. The bout was arranged after Islam Makhachev declined to face Carlos Prates at UFC 336, which is set for January in Toronto, Canada.
Makhachev was expected to headline UFC 336 against Prates but opted for a longer break, reportedly returning after Ramadan. Despite Prates being seen as the clear No. 1 contender, Makhachev disagreed with this ranking. This disagreement led to Prates facing Michael Morales for the interim welterweight belt instead.
Social media exchanges between the two fighters grew tense, with Prates accusing Makhachev of avoiding the matchup. Helwani spoke bluntly about the situation during an episode of The Ariel Helwani Show, calling the interim title premature given Makhachev’s recent defense of his welterweight crown against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in August.
"I don’t have an issue with Islam not coming back in five months. The only problem is he told us that’s what he wanted. Now he’s flip-flopping," Helwani said. "He fought two months ago. There’s no reason for an interim title at this point."
Helwani Challenges Makhachev's Reasoning Against Fighting Prates
Helwani also questioned Makhachev’s rationale for refusing to fight Prates, which hinged on Prates’ previous loss to Ian Machado Garry. Makhachev felt it didn’t make sense to face someone who had been defeated by a fighter he had just beaten.
Helwani countered this by noting that Prates has bounced back with two consecutive finishes since that loss. Now, Prates must overcome Michael Morales to earn the interim championship and prove his status as a top contender. The Canadian journalist expressed disagreement with Makhachev’s argument.
"I’m glad there’s an interim title because it means the fighters get more money. But it’s frustrating that the fight isn’t Makhachev vs. Carlos Prates—that was the matchup they wanted to make," Helwani explained. "Makhachev said he wanted to fight in December or January. Now he claims he won’t fight Prates because of a loss from two years ago. None of it adds up."
