UFC CEO Dana White believes money could be the reason Islam Makhachev decided against defending his welterweight title at UFC 336 in January.
The UFC recently announced that Carlos Prates will face Michael Morales for the interim welterweight title after Makhachev opted to delay his return until after Ramadan. The announcement came despite reports that the champion had verbally agreed to fight Prates at the event.
White appeared frustrated when he first explained the decision to introduce an interim title while Makhachev remained champion. However, speaking with The Mac Life on Wednesday, the UFC boss offered more insight into the situation and suggested that Makhachev’s financial position could have influenced his decision.
“Yeah, it was verbally agreed to,” White said. “Whenever I told you [is when he pulled out]. I think when you get to a position where he’s at and what he’s accomplished, who knows what he’s thinking or what he wants to do next? But, obviously, I like when guys fight a lot. Being the champ, I don’t really expect you to fight three times a year, but twice would be nice. What you start to do is back up the division, because lots of guys would like a shot at the title.”
Since the announcement, Makhachev has addressed the situation on several occasions. He initially suggested that Prates needed to prove himself before getting a title shot, but later hinted that he could be approaching the final fights of his career.
White, however, believes the champion’s financial security may explain why he no longer feels the need to compete as frequently.
“I think it’s money,” White explained. “Once you get so much money — when guys are young and hungry, they want to fight a lot because they want to get paid. But once you start to get enough money, you don’t have to fight all the time.
“And for him, to be fair to Islam, look at what he’s accomplished.”
Makhachev has built an impressive legacy since joining the UFC in 2015. The Russian is the promotion’s 11th two-division champion and became one of only four fighters in UFC history to successfully defend titles in two different weight classes.
He also sits at the top of the UFC pound-for-pound rankings and remains widely regarded as one of the best fighters of his generation. His decision to delay his return, however, has created uncertainty in the welterweight division, with Prates and Morales now competing for an interim championship.
