Islam Makhachev will no longer headline the UFC’s first event of 2027.Makhachev was expected to defend his welterweight title against Carlos Prates in the main event of UFC 336, which takes place in Toronto, Canada, on January 30.Makhachev defended the welterweight title against Machado Garry in Las Vegas at UFC 330 in AugustGettyHowever, according to esteemed combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani, the January date no longer works for the champion.Helwani reports the UFC is now ‘looking elsewhere’ for a new headliner for the Toronto show.Makhachev made the first defence of his welterweight title reign in August with a points win over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330.The 34-year-old, 29-1 in his professional MMA career, claimed the belt by defeating Jack Della Maddalena in November 2025 to become a two-division UFC champion.Makhachev, talkSPORT’s No. 1 pound-for-pound UFC star, previously held the lightweight title and made four defences before vacating it to move up to 170lbs.It seemed as if everything was in place for the Russian to defend his welterweight title against No. 1 contender Prates next, but that fight will have to wait for now.Prates knocked out Australian former champion Della Maddalena in enemy territory last time out to cement his name as a title contender at 170lbs.The Brazilian previously handed Leon Edwards his first stoppage defeat at UFC 322 and knocked out Geoff Neal with a wild spinning elbow.Prates’ unanimous decision defeat to Machado Garry in April 2025 is the only loss of his UFC career.He has earned a Performance of the Night bonus for seven of his eight UFC wins.It looks like Prates will have to wait to get his first UFC title shot against MakhachevGettyMachado Garry is expected to fight No. 3-ranked welterweight Michael Morales next to decide who will be next in line for a championship bout.Who else could headline UFC 336?With the featherweight and bantamweight titles on the line at UFC 333 this weekend, and heavyweight gold up for grabs at UFC 334 next month, there are limited options for UFC brass for the first show of 2027.The promotion may call upon lightweight king Justin Gaethje to defend his belt against Arman Tsarukyan, but reports suggest the American is toying with retirement.This could leave Tsarukyan available for a vacant title fight against the man Gaethje defeated to become champion, Ilia Topuria, who has also been linked to fighting Paddy Pimblett next year.Another option could be middleweight champion Sean Strickland, who was all but set to defend his belt against top contender Nassourdine Imavov at UFC 335 in December.However, Strickland threatened to quit the UFC earlier this month over a pay dispute, and only time will tell whether that issue is resolved in time for the American to fight in January.The promotion might have to rely on Strickland to headline UFC 336 in JanuaryGettyCanada’s own Jasmine Jasudavicius may be available to fight Natalia Silva for the women’s flyweight belt.But she has just fought this month and might not have enough time to recover from her win over Erin Blanchfield.The UFC could also turn to Joshua Van, who made his second defence of the flyweight title in a rematch with Alexandre Pantoja in September.The 25-year-old is expected to face No. 1 contender Manel Kape next.UFC ScheduleThere are still several blockbuster shows and exciting contests for fight fans to look forward to in 2026, and you can find the full list of all confirmed events and official bouts as part of talkSPORT.com’s UFC schedule.The UFC, on average, puts on 13 to 14 premium events in a calendar year, with up to 30 smaller ‘Fight Night’ cards allowing prospects and less experienced fighters to showcase their talents.On January 1, 2026, Dana White’s promotion signed a seven-year broadcast deal with CBS and Paramount+ for exclusive rights in the US, meaning the UFC has put on shows like never before this year.With the historic first event in the new Paramount era, UFC 324, delivering huge success, and a one-of-a-kind fight card at the White House in June opening up the UFC to a new audience, the promotion remains a premium global sports brand, and fans are eager to keep track of results and upcoming fights.