Brendan Schaub said on Big Brown Breakdown the UFC 'can't have your champs of that religion' after Makhachev's delay; after backlash he tweeted his point was about activity, not religion.
From 2 reports by 2 outlets
What we know
- Schaub said on Big Brown Breakdown that the UFC can't have 'champs of that religion' because of how often they fight, after Makhachev opted out of the January UFC 336 defense.
- Schaub tweeted that his remarks were taken out of context and that religion was not the point: his argument was that stars can't be built if they are not active.
- Carlos Prates and Michael Morales fight for the interim UFC welterweight title at UFC 336.
Reported, not confirmed
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Fans criticized Schaub's comments on social media after Happy Punch shared the clip.
BJPenn.com
Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub drew backlash after saying on his Big Brown Breakdown show that the UFC cannot have champions of Makhachev's religion, reacting to Islam Makhachev not defending his welterweight title against Carlos Prates at UFC 336. Prates and Michael Morales will instead fight for the interim title, and Makhachev is expected to observe Ramadan and not return until mid-to-late 2027, according to BJPenn.com.
"This is why you can't have your champs of that religion. You just can't," Schaub said. The clip was shared on X by Happy Punch.
After fans criticized the comments, Schaub tweeted that it was a larger point taken out of context. "Religion isn't the point; it could be a number of reasons a fighter isn't active," he wrote, adding that his point was that stars can't be built if they are not active.
"This is why you can't have your champs of that religion. You just can't," Schaub said. The clip was shared on X by Happy Punch.
After fans criticized the comments, Schaub tweeted that it was a larger point taken out of context. "Religion isn't the point; it could be a number of reasons a fighter isn't active," he wrote, adding that his point was that stars can't be built if they are not active.
- Summary
- Brendan Schaub said on Big Brown Breakdown the UFC 'can't have your champs of that religion' after Makhachev's delay; after backlash he tweeted his point was about activity, not religion.
- Key points (one per line)
- Makhachev will not defend against Carlos Prates at UFC 336; Prates and Michael Morales fight for the interim welterweight title.
Schaub said on Big Brown Breakdown: 'This is why you can't have your champs of that religion.'
After fan backlash, Schaub tweeted the comment was 'taken out of context' and that his point was that stars can't be built if they aren't active.
- Also reported by (Name | URL per line)
- BJPenn.com | https://www.bjpenn.com/mma-news/brendan-schaub/brendan-schaub-fan-backlash-islam-makhachev-remarks/
Bloody Elbow | https://bloodyelbow.com/2026/10/29/ex-ufc-star-responds-after-receiving-backlash-for-saying-the-ufc-cant-have-champions-of-a-certain-religion/
Fighters in this story
Islam Makhachev
Carlos Prates
Michael MoralesMore photos
Sources
Bloody ElbowSummarized with AI from the sources above. Read the originals for the full story.
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