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Former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub raised eyebrows when he claimed the promotion ‘can’t run a business’ with Muslim champions.
UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev won’t fight on the first major card of 2027 against Carlos Prates. Due to undisclosed reasons, Makhachev wasn’t able to fight at UFC 336 in January, and Prates and Michael Morales will fight on the card for the interim UFC welterweight title.
Makhachev and other fighters will observe Ramadan after UFC 336, meaning the undisputed champ might not return until mid-to-late 2027.
After the news broke of UFC 336’s switch-up, MMA analyst and former heavyweight fighter Brendan Schaub scolded Makhachev for his ongoing absence.
Brendan Schaub clarifies controversial claims about Muslim UFC champs
In a recent episode of the Big Brown Breakdown, Schaub reacted to the news of Makhachev’s indefinite absence from competition.
“This is why you can’t have your champs of that religion. You just can’t – you can’t run a business on it; they fight once a f—– year,” Schaub said.
MMA X account Happy Punch shared a clip of Schaub’s comments, sparking fan backlash in the replies. After criticism intensified, Schaub appeared to pivot on his earlier stance.
In a recent tweet, Schaub responded to criticism of his remarks about Makhachev and Dagestani fighters.
Brendan Schaub went on a rant arguing the UFC can’t have Muslim champions
“Islam Makhachev decided not to fight because of Ramadan. They should’ve stripped his ass but Dana bends the knee.
This is why you can’t have your champs of that religion. They fight once a f*cking year.” https://t.co/KowRByC4UD
— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) October 29, 2026
“Oh boy. Here we go. This was a much larger point taken out of context,” Schaub tweeted.
“Religion isn’t the point; it could be a number of reasons a fighter isn’t active. My point was you can’t build stars if they’re not active. That’s it. My whole ‘rant’ was dumb because Islam is already a superstar.
“Move on.”
Who do you think Islam Makhachev will fight in his next title defense? Share your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
