Islam Makhachev isn't ready to hand anyone a title shot, even as the UFC books a welterweight title fight around him.

That winner takes shape at UFC 336 in Toronto on January thirty, when Carlos Prates meets Michael Morales. According to uk.sports.yahoo.com, the pair will be featured on the card. Prates sits at number two in the welterweight rankings with an Elo of sixteen twenty after 31 fights, coming off a finish of Jack Della Maddalena. Morales is ranked third with a sixteen ten Elo over five fights. Our own model gives Prates a fifty eight percent edge, and the betting line has him at minus one forty three to Morales' plus one forty five.

cbssports.com also reports Makhachev fired back, dismissing Prates as not being on his level.

Dana White has defended the interim title move. Both cbssports.com and uk.sports.yahoo.com report White explaining that the promotion can't let a division sit idle, pointing to the layoff as the reason for crowning an interim champion rather than waiting on Makhachev.

The whole situation has fans buzzing. There's plenty of reaction to the champion sitting out while two of his top contenders settle things in Toronto.