Michael Morales could have easily bragged that he is the lone unbeaten fighter at UFC 336. That position, however, appears to face a major threat as reports indicate a major move from Dana White and the team.
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“Sergei Sidey (2-1 in the UFC) will face Luis Lee Scott, who will be making his UFC debut,” read the post from Vestnik MMA. “Their matchup will take place on January 31 at UFC 336 in Toronto. Who will win?”
Competing in the UFC since January 2024, Sidey hasn’t fought since he won a decision over Cameron Smotherman on May 3, 2025. Scott, meanwhile, has yet to make his UFC debut.
Reportedly the first UFC fighter from Leeds, England, Scott rides on an unbeaten 10-0 record. However, like Sidey, he will enter the proposed matchup following a long lay-off. On August 19, 2025, he stopped Kaushik Saikumar at Dana White’s Contender Series (DWCS).
Leading up to the bout, Scott missed weight, leaving White and his team reportedly hesitant to offer him the UFC contract. However, Scott’s performance seemingly convinced the promotion to sign him up.
To set some context here, the UFC has yet to make an official announcement about the matchup. Vestnik MMA’s update follows reports suggesting veteran Daniel Rodriguez, who is coming off a loss to Uros Medic in August 2026, will face Robert Soldic. The 31-year-old fighter from Bosnia and Herzegovina made his UFC debut on October 3, 2026, winning the fight against Khaos Williams.
Notably, the Rodriguez-Soldioc matchup also remains unconfirmed. Rodriguez had reportedly announced the fight through his Instagram story.
Сергей Сидей (UFC 2-1) проведёт бой против Луиса Ли Скотта, для которого это станет дебютом в UFC. Их противостояние состоится 31 января на турнире #UFC336 в Торонто. Кто победит?
Still, more than two months remain before Sidey, Scott, Rodriguez, and Soldic could make an appearance on what is being widely viewed as one of 2027’s most high-profile cards.
With Joshua Van defending his flyweight title against Manel Kape, the card gained considerable significance after the interim title fight between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales was announced.
The duration and fighters’ profiles could be the likely reasons behind UFC’s prolonged deliberation over the card.
Dana White and the UFC play their cards close to the chest
The most notable and recent instance, when the promotion kept the lid on a fight card, unfolded during the planning of the UFC Freedom 250 card. The landmark show took place at the White House South Lawn on June 14.
Reports indicate Dana White and his team usually hold meetings once a week on Tuesdays to discuss matchups. However, ahead of the White House event, they met on a daily basis to deliberate over matchmaking.
“I’ll announce the whole card this week,” White said at the time. “The card is done. We’ve been so secretive about this. I’ve got boards, which I’m sure you’ve seen, hanging in our War Room. This isn’t even on the boards.
“We bring in a whiteboard, we write the fights down, and then erase them every time we have a matchmaking meeting. Usually, matchmaking meetings are every Tuesday. They’ve been every day for the past two weeks.
Still, it will be unfair to compare the events leading up to Freedom 250 with UFC 336. The circumstances completely differ.
Considering the historic and geographical significance of the event, the UFC had to exercise utmost caution while going through the matchups before deciding which one or who would feature on the White House card.
For UFC 336, the promotion seemingly had a plan with Van-Kape featuring in the main event. The problem, however, unfolded after a move to put together a matchup between welterweight champion Islam Makhachev and Carlos Prates derailed.
Makhachev declined to go ahead with the proposed matchup, saying he would wait for the top-ranked contenders to fight among themselves before facing him. The move left the UFC and White visibly surprised, prompting them to set up a new interim title in 170 pounds.
The restructuring possibly made the UFC cautious, as it may not want to face a similar matchup-related predicament, before making any final announcement.
Also, UFC returns to Toronto after a two-year gap. So considering the expectations, the promotion could be hesitant to take any chances by hosting a weak card.
In a scenario where the UFC does not stage a Fight Night in January, which would otherwise mark its calendar debut, the UFC 336 stands to become the year’s first promotional event. In that situation, UFC will likely not take any risk and ensure a solid card featuring fighters with proven finishing abilities.
An exercise of such a nature will obviously take time. Fans should stay tuned as more news emerges on this front.