Islam Makhachev Removed from UFC 336 Main Event in Toronto

UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev will no longer compete at the upcoming UFC 336 event, leaving the promotion without a headline fight for the card. The event is scheduled to take place on January 30 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

The promotion had originally hoped to book a matchup between Makhachev and Carlos Prates to serve as the main event. Although the bout was targeted rather than officially signed, initial reports from AG Fight indicated that the Russian champion was out of the lineup. MMA journalist Ariel Helwani later confirmed that the January date no longer works for Makhachev and that the organization is exploring other options.

Reports from outlets such as Violent Rounds also indicated that Makhachev sustained an injury, though the specific nature of the injury has not been publicly disclosed. Meanwhile, the fighter's manager, Rizvan Magomedov, noted that discussions regarding a January meeting with Prates were not finalized.

UFC President Dana White declined to directly confirm the cancellation, describing online rumors surrounding the situation as interesting. With the original headliner scrapped, the status of Carlos Prates on the card remains uncertain. The organization could potentially match Prates against Michael Morales or Shavkat Rakhmonov in a bout carrying championship implications, or choose to hold him out until Makhachev is healthy.

Alternative possibilities for the Toronto card include a women's flyweight championship bout featuring current champion Natalia Silva against Canadian fighter Jasmine Jasudavicius. Another potential option involves middleweight champion Sean Strickland, or Nassourdine Imavov in a rematch, provided that ongoing contract and pay discussions with the promotion can be resolved in time for the January event.

As preparations continue for the fight card in Toronto, the organization is expected to announce a new main event in the coming weeks to replace the canceled matchup.