Brendan Schaub said the UFC 'can't have your champs of that religion' over Makhachev's delay, then tweeted after backlash that religion wasn't the point and he meant inactivity.
From 3 reports by 3 outlets
What we know
- Prates and Michael Morales will fight for the interim welterweight title at UFC 336 on Jan. 30 in Toronto.
- Schaub tweeted that his remarks were taken out of context, that religion wasn't the point, and that he meant fighters must be active to build stars.
Reported, not confirmed
-
Makhachev is expected to observe Ramadan and may not return until mid-to-late 2027.
BJPenn.com
- Makhachev's coach Mendez says no January fight with Prates was agreed and he can't rule out injury as the reason. MMA-TV
-
Dana White said Makhachev gave no reason for not defending at UFC 336.
Bloody Elbow
A rant about fight frequency turned into a row over religion. Brendan Schaub, the former UFC heavyweight, reacted to Islam Makhachev stepping out of a January title defense by saying the UFC should not crown champions of Makhachev's faith, and fans pushed back hard.
The trigger was the UFC 336 booking. Makhachev, the welterweight champion, will not defend against Carlos Prates. Prates and Michael Morales will fight for the interim title instead. Makhachev is expected to observe Ramadan and, according to BJPenn.com, might not return until mid-to-late 2027. Bloody Elbow reported that Schaub, in his video, said Makhachev backed out of the fight over Ramadan and that the UFC should have stripped him.
Schaub's wording went beyond the schedule. He said that is why you can't have champions of that religion and that you can't run a business on it. The clip spread on X through the Happy Punch account, and the replies turned critical. Bloody Elbow noted that since 2020 Makhachev has fought as often as Alexander Volkanovski, who is often praised for his activity.
Schaub then changed his framing. He tweeted that it was a larger point taken out of context and that religion isn't the point, since there are many reasons a fighter might be inactive. His argument, he said, was that stars can't be built if they don't fight, and he called his rant dumb because Makhachev is already a superstar.
The reason for Makhachev's absence is itself contested. Makhachev's coach Javier Mendez says no January fight with Prates was agreed and he can't rule out injury, which undercuts the premise of Schaub's rant. Makhachev, 35, is a Russian southpaw who fights out of American Kickboxing Academy and Eagles MMA.
What to watch next: whether Makhachev or the UFC explains the delay, and the interim title fight between Prates and Morales on Jan. 30 in Toronto, whose winner is likely to be next in line for the champion.
The trigger was the UFC 336 booking. Makhachev, the welterweight champion, will not defend against Carlos Prates. Prates and Michael Morales will fight for the interim title instead. Makhachev is expected to observe Ramadan and, according to BJPenn.com, might not return until mid-to-late 2027. Bloody Elbow reported that Schaub, in his video, said Makhachev backed out of the fight over Ramadan and that the UFC should have stripped him.
Schaub's wording went beyond the schedule. He said that is why you can't have champions of that religion and that you can't run a business on it. The clip spread on X through the Happy Punch account, and the replies turned critical. Bloody Elbow noted that since 2020 Makhachev has fought as often as Alexander Volkanovski, who is often praised for his activity.
Schaub then changed his framing. He tweeted that it was a larger point taken out of context and that religion isn't the point, since there are many reasons a fighter might be inactive. His argument, he said, was that stars can't be built if they don't fight, and he called his rant dumb because Makhachev is already a superstar.
The reason for Makhachev's absence is itself contested. Makhachev's coach Javier Mendez says no January fight with Prates was agreed and he can't rule out injury, which undercuts the premise of Schaub's rant. Makhachev, 35, is a Russian southpaw who fights out of American Kickboxing Academy and Eagles MMA.
What to watch next: whether Makhachev or the UFC explains the delay, and the interim title fight between Prates and Morales on Jan. 30 in Toronto, whose winner is likely to be next in line for the champion.
- Summary
- Brendan Schaub said the UFC 'can't have your champs of that religion' over Makhachev's delay, then tweeted after backlash that religion wasn't the point and he meant inactivity.
- Key points (one per line)
- Brendan Schaub said on Big Brown Breakdown the UFC can't have champions 'of that religion' after Islam Makhachev skipped a UFC 336 title defense.
After backlash he tweeted the remark was taken out of context and his point was about fighter activity.
Prates and Michael Morales will meet for the interim welterweight title at UFC 336.
- 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/
Heavy on UFC | https://heavy.com/sports/ufc/brendan-schaub-ufc-stripped-islam-makhachev/
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Fighters in this story
Islam Makhachev
Carlos Prates
Michael MoralesMore photos
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