Carlos Prates and Michael Morales to Fight for Interim Title at UFC 336
Carlos Prates and Michael Morales will meet for the interim UFC welterweight championship in the co-main event of UFC 336 on January 30 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto.
The booking was announced during the UFC 333 broadcast after Islam Makhachev was ruled unavailable for the January card, shifting the title picture and placing an interim belt on the line between two of the division’s top contenders.
Prates enters the matchup on a three-fight knockout streak that includes stops of former champions Leon Edwards and Jack Della Maddalena, along with a first-round finish of Geoff Neal. The Brazilian improved to 24-7 overall and 7-1 in the UFC with those results and sits near the top of the welterweight rankings.
Morales remains undefeated at 19-0 and 7-0 in the promotion after a first-round TKO of Sean Brady at UFC 322 in November 2025. The Ecuadorian has not competed since that night and served as the official backup for Makhachev’s title defense against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in August.
The interim title setup creates a clear path for the winner while Makhachev remains out of action. Prates has finished seven of his eight UFC opponents and has been vocal about his readiness for elite competition. Morales has stopped his last three foes inside the first round and previously expressed interest in facing Prates in a high-stakes bout.
Their pairing resolves an ongoing discussion about the division’s pecking order without requiring either fighter to wait for a direct title opportunity against the champion.
Toronto hosts its first numbered UFC event since UFC 297 in January 2024. The Scotiabank Arena date marks the promotion’s return to the city and the first numbered card of 2027, with the main card scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. ET.
Both fighters have traded public comments in recent months about a potential meeting. Prates stated he would accept the fight if offered and predicted a first-round finish.
Morales responded that he was ready and framed the matchup as a way to determine the next contender. The interim championship elevates those exchanges into an official title bout with immediate stakes for the 170-pound division.
The winner of the January 30 fight will hold interim gold and position himself for a unification bout once Makhachev returns. Prates’ recent finishing rate against former champions gives him clear momentum heading into Toronto, while Morales’ perfect record and first-round power present a different test after more than a year of inactivity.
The booking also fills a high-profile slot on a Canadian card that previously lacked confirmed main-event details.
UFC 336 moves forward with the interim title fight locked in as the welterweight co-main event. The remaining matchups on the card are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, with tickets scheduled to go on sale in November. The Toronto showdown gives both Prates and Morales a direct route to championship status and sets up the next phase of the division’s title picture.
