Reports Suggest Makhachev vs. Prates Being Discussed for UFC 336 in Toronto

Quick read

WOW!!! According to @mma.pros.pick, a blockbuster welterweight title fight between Islam Makhachev and Carlos Prates is reportedly being discussed for UFC 336 in Toronto!!! This would mark the UFC’s return to Toronto for the first time in nearly three years, and what a way to make a comeback! On top of that, Joshua Van vs. Manel Kape has been rumoured as a potential flyweight title fight for the co-main event for quite some time now. If both of these fights come together, we could genuinely be looking at one of the greatest UFC cards ever held on Canadian soil. As a Canadian myself, I NEED to see this happen. #ufc #islammakhachev #joshuavan #carlosprates #manelkape

AgentMMA.com

A welterweight title fight between champion Islam Makhachev and Carlos Prates is reportedly being discussed for UFC 336 in Toronto. The matchup has not been officially confirmed, and the report should be treated as unverified for now.

If the card comes together, it would mark the UFC's first return to Toronto in nearly three years. A flyweight title bout between Joshua Van and Manel Kape has also been rumoured for the co-main event slot for some time.

The fighters

Makhachev, 34, is the reigning welterweight champion at 29-1. The Russian southpaw trains with Eagles MMA and stands five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach. His game is built on grappling: he averages 3.22 takedowns per 15 minutes and 0.9 submission attempts, while landing 2.27 significant strikes per minute at 58 percent accuracy.

Van, 25, holds the flyweight title with an 18-2 record. The Myanmar native, known as "The Fearless," fights out of 4oz. Fight Club as an orthodox striker. He is five-foot-five with a 65-inch reach and lands 8.26 significant strikes per minute at 57 percent accuracy, a high-volume pace.

Kape, 32, is ranked number two at flyweight with a 23-7 record. The Angolan southpaw, nicknamed "StarBoy," trains at Xtreme Couture. He also stands five-foot-five but owns a 68-inch reach, and he lands 4.68 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy.

Why it matters

A Makhachev title defence would add a major draw to the welterweight division's calendar, though nothing has been finalised.
Van vs. Kape would pit the champion against the division's number two-ranked contender in a clear title-eliminator-turned-title-fight scenario.
Style contrast: Van's volume striking against Kape's southpaw movement and longer reach would be the central question in a flyweight title fight.
A Toronto card carrying two title fights would make for a heavyweight return to Canada, if both bouts materialise.

The UFC has not announced a main event or co-main event for UFC 336, and both pairings remain reported discussions rather than signed fights.