Maddalena recently lost the UFC Welterweight Championship to Islam Makhachev at Madison Square Garden in New York City. “JDM” tried to create opportunities, but Makhachev’s elite fight paved the way for a new 170-pound king.
On the same card that saw Maddalena drop the welterweight title, Carlos Prates scored a sensational knockout victory over Leon Edwards. Speak with MMAFighting.comPrates revealed when he was keen to share the Octagon with Maddalena.
“We’re thinking about April, a numbered card in Las Vegas,” Prates said. “He just lost the title, so we would beat him and definitely go straight to the title. That’s what we want. We’ll be there by the middle of next year [for the belt].”
Prates admits he would love to challenge Makhachev for welterweight gold. He believes there is a chance he could get a title shot if Makhachev’s first challenger isn’t Kamaru Usman.
“That’s what Makhachev wants, [he and Usman] I have the same management,” said Prates. “Usman is already one of the all-time greats in the division – for me the greatest. So whatever happens, it’s okay. I believe if I don’t get the title fight, I’ll get one more fight and then go.”
Prates brings excitement to the welterweight division and some fans wouldn’t rule out him jumping the line. Other contenders such as Michael Morales and Ian Machado Garry have also emerged. Shavkat Rakhmonov has long been viewed as the deserving No. 1 prospect, but he missed all of 2025 due to injuries.
Many have mocked Makhachev’s call to defend his gold against Kamaru Usman, who has one win in his last four fights. Usman snapped a three-fight skid by defeating Joaquin Buckley in June.
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