Since then, the No. 5 seed in the welterweight division has yet to make his debut in 2026. There is currently nothing planned for Carlos Prates, but that may change in the second quarter of this year.
One of the UFC’s most anticipated events on the 2026 calendar will take place on the evening of June 14. In a rare Sunday evening outing for the promotion, Dana White and company will make the trek to Capitol Hill in Washington, DC for a one-off card on the White House lawn.
Carlos Prates linked to Conor McGregor Contest at UFC White House
One of the big names on the UFC roster rumored to appear at this event is Conor McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC). Throughout the build-up to UFC White House later this year, “The Notorious” has been lobbying to be part of the event, including challenging Floyd Mayweather to an MMA fight at UFC White House.
With the UFC joining forces with Paramount Plus for a seven-year media rights deal, McGregor has also claimed that his current pact to fight in the No. 1 MMA promotion in the world is now null and void.
While McGregor was looking for a renewed contract earlier this year to compete under the UFC promotional banner, he is also looking for an opponent for the UFC White House show on June 14. Carlos Prates could be the man to face Conor McGregor late this spring.
Carlos Prates opens up about possible fight against McGregor
However, Carlos Prates is not entirely sure he will fight Conor McGregor in June. On Tuesday Prates took to his Instagram to post a reel about his thoughts on fighting McGregor at the White House in Washington.
“A lot of you have been asking me about the Conor McGregor fight,” Carlos Prates began. “I don’t [have] nothing from the UFC yet. I’m very happy that you say my name. Of course it would be a huge honor for me to fight him.”
Prates, however, has loftier goals in mind. He is ranked fifth in the welterweight rankings and is heavily in the conversation for the UFC welterweight championship, a title currently held by Islam Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC).
“I really want a fight that can give me the title,” he continued. “JDM [Jack Della Maddalena,] Conor McGregor. Frankly, I think that struggle is difficult to achieve. Conor McGregor has been without a fight for five years.”
Carlos Prates interrogates McGregor Tilt at the White House
As Prates mentioned, it has been five years since Conor McGregor last fought under the UFC promotional banner. On July 10, 2021, at UFC 257 in a rematch with Dustin Poirier, McGregor suffered a broken ankle, causing the fight doctor wave the match off after the opening round.
A scheduled 2024 bout against Michael Chandler was intended to headline UFC 303, but the fight was scrapped after McGregor was sidelined by a broken toe. He has not returned to competition since.
Carlos Prates believes any fight against Conor McGregor would result in a one-way street.
‘After five years he wouldn’t do that anymore [be] back to fight the most entertaining welterweights in the world,” he continued. “Nothing against him, you know? Everyone knows it, I know it, he knows I would hurt him a lot. I would knock him out.”
Final Thoughts: Prates deserves better than Conor McGregor
Again, nothing has been officially confirmed for UFC White House yet, but the promotion can’t get started on this.
The UFC would be best served by putting some of its elite fighters on the White House show, and giving a spot to someone like McGregor, who hasn’t appeared since earlier this decade, could be a counterproductive move. Should Prates be booked to fight Conor McGregor, it will be a mind-boggling decision.
Carlos Prates is on his way to the championship. Letting him fight McGregor isn’t the right decision here.
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