Islam Makhachev might want to stay off social media for a bit because MMA fans are not letting him off the hook! The UFC welterweight champion recently dropped a video of himself working on his striking inside the cage, and the timing couldn’t have been worse.

With Carlos Prates and Michael Morales set to battle for the interim welterweight title at UFC 336, fans wasted no time calling out the Dagestani over his reported withdrawal from a January title fight against ‘The Nightmare.’

Makhachev was originally expected to defend his welterweight gold against Prates in January 2027. But the matchup fell apart after the Dagestani star indicated he wanted to return after Ramadan.

The UFC has since moved on by booking Prates vs. Morales for the interim belt, leaving Makhachev on the sidelines while the rest of the division keeps moving. After all, the champion isn’t looking to deal with a contender traffic jam at welterweight.

The Dagestani phenom wants Carlos Prates and Michael Morales to sort things out between themselves before either gets a shot at his belt. In Islam Makhachev’s view, fighting ‘The Nightmare’ right now could create an even bigger headache, especially with Morales also waiting in line for his title opportunity.

So, instead of picking one contender and leaving the other hanging, Makhachev wants Prates and Morales to throw down, with the winner earning the right to challenge him next. The UFC, meanwhile, has taken things up a notch by putting the interim welterweight title on the line when the two meet at UFC 336.

And it’s not just the fans giving Islam Makhachev a hard time over this. Even UFC CEO Dana White has made it pretty clear that he’s not thrilled with the champ pushing back his next fight.

Speaking at the UFC 333 post-fight press conference, the head honcho took aim at Makhachev’s fighting schedule and revealed that the champion hadn’t actually given him a reason for delaying his return.

That’s only added more fuel to the fire, with fans now questioning what’s really keeping the welterweight champ out of action. Islam Makhachev last stepped into the Octagon in August, going five rounds with Ian Machado Garry and picking up a unanimous decision victory to retain his welterweight title.

He was then expected to face Prates in January 2027, with UFC 336 in Toronto reportedly set to host the title fight. However, the champ’s decision to return after Ramadan threw a wrench into the UFC’s plans, with the religious observance scheduled to run from February 8 to March 8 in 2027.

During the UFC 333 broadcast, it was suggested that Islam Makhachev could be back in action as early as May. But the UFC clearly wasn’t interested in putting the entire welterweight division on hold for that long. Instead, the promotion decided to get things moving by introducing an interim welterweight title for UFC 336.

Now, with Makhachev back in the gym and Carlos Prates and Michael Morales gearing up for their showdown, fans are wondering why the champ pulled out of the January plans in the first place. And that training footage? Well, it certainly hasn’t helped calm anyone down.

Fans go off on Islam Makhachev after seeing the latest training footage

Islam Makhachev’s training video has prompted a series of critical reactions on social media, with fans questioning why he is back in the cage after withdrawing from the reported fight against Prates.

“How convenient he’s ready to train now that he ducked out of his fight in January,” one fan wrote.

Another focused on the potential turnaround for the winner of the interim title fight, arguing that the contender could have limited time to recover and prepare for Makhachev.

“Now the winner of Morales & Prates will have just 2 months for recovery and training to fight this P4P #1 fighter. Meanwhile, he’s already preparing for them for a long time,” he wrote.

The last time Islam Makhachev pulled out on his own was back in November 2020, as he pulled out against Rafael dos Anjos after contracting a severe staph infection. So, had the pullout been for something similar, maybe the fans would’ve been more forgiving.

Some fans accused Makhachev of attempting to repair his reputation after the proposed matchup fell through. “He’s trying to save face after looking weak as hell turning down the Prates fight,” one commenter claimed.

Another delivered a sarcastic response to the footage, writing, “Of course he’s training hard. Ducking is hard work.”

Others suggested that Makhachev would prefer Morales to win the interim championship rather than face Prates. “He’s scared of Prates and hopes that Morales can somehow win,” one fan wrote.

The timing of Makhachev’s potential return also attracted criticism. “Training in October so he fights in June next year lmao,” one user commented.

Another made a similar point, writing, “He’s training for him to fight in May of 2027 LOL. If this isn’t the biggest duck show.”

Some reactions were more direct in questioning the champion’s decision to delay his next fight. “Why doesn’t the dumbf— just fight? He has no damage and isn’t injured,” one commenter wrote.

Another criticized the situation facing the two interim title contenders, arguing that they could be forced into a quick turnaround after an intense championship fight: “Have 2 guys slaughter each other while having more time to prepare and then force the winner to a quick turnaround.”

For now, Islam Makhachev’s training footage has given his critics another reason to pile on, and the champ is caught in the middle of a debate that isn’t going away anytime soon. Whether the backlash changes anything remains to be seen, but his next move will surely determine how quickly fans move on from the controversy.