Despite division logjam, Jack Della Maddalena lauds ‘incredible fight’ between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales at UFC 336

Jesse Holland is among the longest-tenured media professionals in the combat sports news space, covering MMA, professional wrestling and boxing on a full-time basis since early 2004.

Former UFC 170-pound champion Jack Della Maddalena, like every other welterweight currently ranked in the Top 15, is stuck in a holding pattern while reigning division kingpin Islam Makhachev takes (another) extended vacation from his duties as defending champion.

The promotion is hoping to loosen the 170-pound bottleneck by pitting No. 1-ranked contender Carlos Prates (24-7) against No. 3-ranked welterweight Michael Morales (19-0) in the UFC 336 co-main event on Sat., Jan. 30, 2027 at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada.

“I think it’s a great fight,” Della Maddalena told Bedtime MMA (transcribed by Farah Hannoun). “I think it’s good for the division. I would think Prates is next in line, so I think it’s a good fight. It clears up the division, it shows who the No. 1 contender is, and it’s good timing. I don’t think Islam will probably fight until June next year, so it just slows it down. It’s good. It’s an incredible fight. I don’t know who’s going to win. I feel like Prates probably has more tools to get the win, but Morales is a big, powerful guy with a different sort of size. So I think it’ll be an interesting fight.”

Up for grabs is the interim welterweight title, giving the winner of Prates vs. Morales the first shot at Makhachev when he returns in mid-2027. The still-angry Brazilian, who stopped Della Maddalena in the UFC Perth main event last May, is currently the moneyline betting favorite … but not by much.

UFC 336 will be headlined by the five-round title fight between flyweight rivals Joshua Van (c) and Manel Kape, another matchup that’s too close to call (according to the opening odds). No other bouts have been announced at this time; however, you can expect them to start trickling in over the next few weeks.

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