Ariel Helwani Critiques UFC's Interim Welterweight Title Decision
MMA insider Ariel Helwani shared his perspective on the UFC’s move to set up an interim welterweight title fight following Islam Makhachev's refusal to face Carlos Prates at UFC 336. Makhachev, who recently defended his welterweight title in August against Ian Machado Garry, declined the bout and is expected to return after Ramadan, opting for a longer break.
The fight between Makhachev and Prates was anticipated to headline UFC 336 in January in Toronto. Even though Prates was widely viewed as the rightful top contender, Makhachev disagreed with that assessment. As a result, Prates will now challenge Michael Morales for the interim welterweight championship instead.
This decision sparked some tension, with Prates publicly accusing Makhachev of avoiding him through social media exchanges. Helwani expressed a clear viewpoint about the timing and legitimacy of the interim title.
Helwani Finds Interim Title Premature
Helwani explained on The Ariel Helwani Show that he understands Makhachev’s choice to delay his return but sees the interim belt as unnecessary given the timeline. Makhachev fought just two months ago, and by the time the interim title fight occurs, it would be roughly five months since his last bout.
"I don’t have an issue with Islam not coming back in five months. The only issue I have is he told us that’s what he wanted. And now he’s flip-flopping," Helwani said. "There should not be an interim title because he just fought, at this point, two months ago. By the time the fight happens, it will be five months. He fought two months ago. There is no world where there should be an interim title."
Helwani Challenges Makhachev’s Reasoning Against Prates
One reason Makhachev gave for rejecting the Prates fight was that Prates lost to Ian Machado Garry, the fighter Makhachev had just beaten. Helwani pushed back on this logic, pointing out Prates’ recent success with two consecutive finishes since that loss.
Prates must now defeat Morales to claim the interim welterweight belt and prove his standing as a contender. Helwani emphasized that the reasoning behind avoiding Prates didn’t add up.
"I’m happy there’s an interim title because they’re getting the perks. That’s just because I’m a lover of the fighters and I want them to get paid more. It is annoying that it’s not Carlos Prates vs. Islam Makhachev because that’s the fight that they wanted to make," Helwani remarked.
"[Makhachev] told us that he wanted to fight in either December or January. And now he’s trying to say, I don’t want to fight Carlos Prates because he lost to Ian Garry two years ago. None of it makes sense," Helwani added.
