Carlos Prates and Ian Garry have discussed a plan to eventually meet for a title fight. According to the post, Garry called Prates about three weeks ago to propose the scenario. Their plan involves Prates defeating Madalena while Garry beats Islam Makhachev, leading to a championship bout between them in Brazil. The post suggests they believe the UFC would make this fight happen, and if Garry wins the belt, it would be a rematch between them. However, the author questions whether this ambitious plan can actually be realized.
Carlos Prates and Ian Garry have reportedly mapped out an ambitious shared roadmap that ends with the two of them fighting for a welterweight title, potentially on Brazilian soil.
According to the report, Garry reached out to Prates roughly three weeks ago to propose the scenario. The plan calls for Prates to first handle his own business against Madalena, while Garry dethrones reigning champion Islam Makhachev. If both results go according to script, the UFC would then be asked to sanction a title fight between them in Brazil — and because the two have apparently crossed paths before, it would serve as a rematch.
Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," enters the picture as the fifth-ranked welterweight. The 32-year-old Brazilian trains out of Vale Top Team and stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach. He carries genuine finishing threat on the feet, averaging 3.77 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, and operates effectively from a switch stance.
Standing between Garry and the belt is Makhachev, one of the most complete fighters in the sport. The 34-year-old Russian champion holds a 28-1 record and currently sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings. He blends elite grappling — 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes — with sharp striking at 58 percent accuracy, making him a formidable obstacle for anyone in the division.
Why it matters
- A Garry victory over Makhachev would immediately elevate the stakes of any future Prates matchup to championship level
- Prates at rank five would need a convincing win over Madalena to strengthen his own title credentials
- The proposed Brazil location adds a nationalistic dimension that could generate significant commercial interest for the UFC
- The layered nature of the plan means multiple results must fall in sequence, leaving plenty of room for the scenario to unravel
