Carlos Prates recently admitted he wants to fight for the welterweight title, but former champion Kamaru Usman is rumored to be Islam Makhachev’s next opponent.
That’s why Prates wants to fight Jack Della Maddalena or Michael Morales in the meantime. JDM’ was dethroned by Makhachev at UFC 322 earlier this year. On the same night, Prates became the first man to defeat former champion Leon Edwards, and Michael Morales also secured a first-round KO against top contender Sean Brady.
‘The Nightmare’ is currently on a two-fight winning streak with both of his victories comes via knockoutand he plans to implement the same form next year.
During a recent meeting with Combat Kids MMA, Carlos Prates said:
“Of course I would like to fight for the title, but I think Kamaru is going to fight, so I’m really looking forward to fighting Jack Della Maddalena or Michael Morales.”
Check out Carlos Prates’ comments below:
Although Carlos Prates Says ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ Is the Next Challenger for the Welterweight Title, the UFC May Have Other Plans
Shavkat Rakhmonov was recently climbed to the number two spot listed at 170 pounds. However, Rakhmonov has been inactive for over a year due to an injury. Still, he could be next in line as ‘Nomad’ was previously locked in to fight then-champion Belal Muhammad at UFC 310 until the latter pulled out due to a bone infection, after which Ian Machado Garry fought Rakhmonov on short notice and lost by decision to the Kazakh fighter.
On the other hand, after his only loss, Ian Machado Garry scored a close-quarters victory against Carlos Prates in 2025 and then defeated Belal Muhammad by decision at UFC Qatar, making his case for a title shot. Even Michael Morales is a potential option.
Many in the MMA community believe that Kamaru Usman is past his best years and is not the same fighter he once was. But Makhachev considers “The Nigerian Nightmare” to be his toughest challenge at welterweight. The P4P king previously told Red Corner MMA:
“The media doesn’t believe in this fight, but in my opinion Usman would roll through any of these newcomers like Morales and Prates… Those guys haven’t been checked yet. I think Usman would be the toughest fight for me.”
Watch Islam Makhachev’s comments below:
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