Carlos Prates and Ian Garry have discussed a plan for a potential title fight between them. According to Prates, Garry called him about three weeks ago to propose a scenario where Prates defeats Maddalena, Garry beats Makhachev, and then they fight each other in Brazil. Prates believes the UFC would make the fight happen, stating that if Garry wins the belt, they would have a rematch. The post acknowledges the plan is ambitious but questions whether it can be realized.
Carlos Prates has revealed that Ian Garry reached out to him roughly three weeks ago with an ambitious blueprint for a future title fight between the two welterweights.
According to Prates, Garry proposed a specific chain of events: Prates defeats Jack Della Maddalena, Garry dethrones Islam Makhachev, and the two then meet each other for the belt in Brazil. Prates indicated he believes the UFC would be willing to book that fight, framing it as a rematch opportunity should Garry capture championship gold.
Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," carries a 24-7 record and is currently ranked fifth in the welterweight division. The 32-year-old Brazilian trains out of Vale Top Team and brings considerable striking threat to any matchup. Standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, the switch-stance fighter lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 55 percent, numbers that place him among the more productive and precise strikers in the division.
Garry's verified data was not included in the fighter file, but his role in this scenario is central — the plan hinges entirely on him first unseating a champion in Makhachev, who competes at lightweight, making the proposal a cross-divisional and multi-event chain of outcomes.
Why it matters
- A Prates win over Della Maddalena would strengthen his case for a welterweight title shot on its own merits.
- Garry calling out a top-five welterweight while preparing for his own high-profile contest signals confidence in his trajectory.
- A potential title fight in Brazil would carry significant promotional weight given Prates's home country.
- Both conditions — separate wins in separate fights — must fall into place before any of this moves beyond discussion.
