Matt Brown isn’t a fan of the UFC’s newest interim title.
Islam Makhachev turned down a welterweight title defense against Carlos Prates at UFC 336, so the UFC will crown an interim champion when Prates faces Michael Morales instead on Jan. 30 in Toronto. Dana White put that decision on Makhachev, who beat Ian Machado Garry in August and has said he will face the winner after Ramadan.
Brown defended the champion on The Fighter vs. The Writer.
He is in position being that he’s done such great things, I feel like he’s earned that right. I think he’s earned that right, I wouldn’t call it picking and choosing, if he was like ‘I don’t want to fight anybody’ for this amount of time.
When you get to that level, you get a little bit more picky and choosy, as you should. I’m not going to hate on Islam being picky and choosy about this fight.
What bothered Brown was the belt itself.
It was surprising to me that Islam did that. I just thought he would take the fight and go. I didn’t really think he would get into the politics of who needs to beat who but come on an interim title? He just fought what two months ago? Two months ago. We don’t need to do this. The interim title’s not going to mean anything.
It’s an amazing fight Morales vs. Prates, but you’re knocking off a contender. I’d rather see Islam fight both of them. Maybe that’s not what Islam wants to do. I think he’s earned his keep there, and if that’s what he wants to do, I think you say OK. You’ve got to fight somebody. Who do you want to fight? The last thing I like out of this is a f*cking interim title.
Brown also wondered if there was more to it.
Is that the UFC trying to punch Islam in the gut? That’s what it feels like here.
I don’t know what the behind the scenes conversation was, but if he’s clear to them ‘I’m going to fight in March, April, June, July’ whatever it is, then that’s totally fair. He’s earned that right to pick when he fights.
Brown added that he wishes the UFC had a set standard for when an interim title is created, as is common in boxing.
