Carlos Prates Plots His Next Move As Welterweight Title Scene Shifts

Carlos Prates recently admitted that he wants to fight for the welterweight title, but as per rumors, former champion Kamaru Usman will be Islam Makhachev’s next opponent.

Hence, in the meantime, Prates wants to fight Jack Della Maddalena or Michael Morales. JDM’ was dethroned by Makhachev earlier this year at UFC 322. On the same night, Prates became the first man to knock out former champion Leon Edwards, and Michael Morales also secured a first-round KO against top contender Sean Brady.

‘The Nightmare’ is currently riding a two-win streak with both his wins coming via knockout, and he intends to carry the same form into next year.

During a recent sit-down with Combat Kids MMA, Carlos Prates said:

“Of course, I would love to fight for the belt, but I think Kamaru is going to fight, so I am really looking to fight Jack Della Maddalena or Michael Morales.”

Check out Carlos Prates’ comments below:

Although Carlos Prates says that ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is the next welterweight title challenger, the UFC can have other plans

Shavkat Rakhmonov was recently moved up to the number two spot on the 170-pound list. However, Rakhmonov has been inactive for more than a year due to injury. Yet, he could be next in line since ‘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 to the Kazakh fighter by decision.

On the other hand, after his sole loss, Ian Machado Garry secured a short-notice win against Carlos Prates in 2025 and then beat 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 Kamaru Usman is past his prime and not the same fighter he once was. But Makhachev considers ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ to be his hardest 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 steamroll through each of these up-and-comers like Morales, Prates… Those guys haven’t been checked yet. I think Usman would be the hardest fight for me.”

Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments below: