'No Muslim should be champion' — ex-UFC fighter targets Makhachev

Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub has unleashed a tirade against welterweight champion Islam Makhachev of Russia, going as far as questioning Makhachev's religion. After Makhachev declined a title defense scheduled for January, Schaub argued the belt should be stripped — and went further, suggesting Muslim fighters should not be allowed to hold a championship at all.

MMA News, a US combat sports outlet, reported Thursday that Schaub leveled sharp criticism at Makhachev's scheduling decision and the UFC's response during an episode of Schaub's YouTube program.

"That's why Makhachev is not the GOAT," Schaub said. "Makhachev decided he's not going to fight. The UFC should have stripped him of his championship belt, but they're still bowing down to him." Schaub added that Makhachev had originally been set to fight Carlos Prates in Toronto on Jan. 30. "Everyone agreed to the plan, and then suddenly Makhachev said he wouldn't fight because of Ramadan," Schaub said.

Schaub went further, saying fighters who follow "that religion" should not be allowed to be champions — a claim that moved beyond criticism of a scheduling dispute into an argument for restricting title eligibility on religious grounds.

The controversy stems from the scheduling of the welterweight title bout at UFC 336, set for Jan. 30 in Toronto, Canada. The UFC had originally pursued a matchup between reigning champion Makhachev and Prates, but negotiations broke down after Makhachev indicated he wanted to fight after Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting.

Ramadan in 2027 is expected to run from early February to early March. Makhachev wanted to return to competition after that period rather than in January.

Ultimately, the UFC confirmed an interim welterweight title bout between Prates and Michael Morales of Ecuador as the co-main event of UFC 336. The winner is expected to face Makhachev in a title unification bout at a later date.

The decision to schedule an interim title fight is a telling detail in this controversy. Creating a separate champion while the reigning titleholder retains the belt is an implicit acknowledgment that the regular title defense schedule has been disrupted.

The interim championship system is typically used when a reigning champion cannot defend the title for an extended period — generally six months to a year — due to injury. In this case, however, Makhachev has not been confirmed as injured; the interim bout came about because Makhachev declined the UFC's proposed January date.

UFC CEO Dana White did not hide his frustration. Speaking at a post-event news conference after UFC 333 on Saturday, White said Makhachev fights roughly once a year on average. "He was supposed to fight in January, but he said he didn't want to fight until after Ramadan," White said.

White added that the entire division could not be kept waiting. "We have to keep moving forward," White said, explaining the rationale for scheduling the interim title fight.

Makhachev has said a bout between Prates and Morales is a reasonable way to determine the next contender. "Let Prates and Morales fight to decide who truly deserves the shot, and I'll fight the winner," Makhachev said in a recent interview.

Prates made clear he was unhappy with the situation. Addressing Makhachev directly, Prates said he had spent 17 years chasing a championship and protested the delay to the scheduled bout. Prates vowed to defeat Morales and then force Makhachev into retirement.