Two championship fights are coming to Toronto, with the UFC releasing a pair of announcements for its first major card of 2027.
On Saturday’s broadcast from Abu Dhabi, it was confirmed that two title fights will occur on January 30, when UFC 336 takes place in Toronto.
The major note is that the latest interim title is being added to the mix, allowing Carlos Prates and Michael Morales to compete for a belt. An interim welterweight title is being introduced due to champion Islam Makhachev being unable to fight in January. A fight between Makhachev and Prates was being targeted for the January 30 event.
Announcer Jon Anik told fellow broadcaster Daniel Cormier that he was informed of the news two days ago.
Prates (24-7) is 7-1 in the UFC and on a three-fight winning streak with recent stoppages of former champions Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards in his last two fights. He also has the distinction of being awarded a performance of the night bonus for all seven of his wins inside the promotion. Morales (19-0) has an unblemished record with seven wins in the UFC but has not competed since last November when he stopped Sean Brady.
In addition, UFC flyweight champion Joshua Van (18-2) will make the third defense of his title when he meets Manel Kape at UFC 336. Van won the title last December when Alexandre Pantoja sustained an arm injury right away in the first round, and Van was declared the winner by TKO. Pantoja received a rematch in September, with Van winning by unanimous decision, and will be a heavy favorite to be named ‘Fighter of the Year’. Kape (23-7) has been victorious in his last four fights, including Brandon Royval and Kyoji Horiguchi by stoppage.
The championship fights are the first announcements for UFC 336 as the UFC returns to Toronto for the first time since January 2024.
The card in Canada coincides with its pay-per-views moving to a subscription model on Paramount+ in the country, while its preliminary fights will continue to air on Rogers Sportsnet and Fight Pass.
