Carlos Prates and Ian Garry have discussed a plan to eventually meet in a title fight. According to Prates, Garry called him about three weeks ago to outline the scenario: Prates would defeat Maddalena, Garry would beat Makhachev, and then they would fight each other in Brazil. Prates believes UFC would make the matchup happen if Garry captures the belt, setting up a rematch between the two. The statement appears aspirational rather than confirmed, depending on both fighters winning their next scheduled contests. No timeline or official confirmation from UFC was mentioned.
Carlos Prates and Ian Garry have mapped out an ambitious road to a title-fight collision, with Prates revealing that Garry reached out roughly three weeks ago to propose the scenario.
According to Prates, the plan runs as follows: Prates defeats Jack Della Maddalena in his upcoming bout, Garry stops Islam Makhachev to claim the welterweight title, and the two then meet in Brazil with the belt on the line. Prates indicated he believes the UFC would sanction that rematch if Garry does capture the championship, though no official confirmation from the promotion has been issued and the scenario remains entirely contingent on both men winning first.
Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," enters his next contest ranked fifth in the welterweight division. The 32-year-old Brazilian trains out of Vale Top Team and carries a 24-7 record. Standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, he is an active and aggressive striker who lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, making him one of the more dangerous stand-up threats in the division.
Standing in Garry's way is Islam Makhachev, the reigning welterweight champion. The 34-year-old Russian, now competing at 170 pounds, holds a 28-1 record and represents one of the most complete fighters in the sport. Fighting out of a southpaw stance, Makhachev combines elite grappling — averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes — with sharp striking at 58 percent accuracy, a combination that has made him a dominant titleholder.
Why it matters
- A Garry title win would immediately reshape the welterweight landscape and elevate Prates into a championship conversation
- Prates at ranked fifth would hold a credible claim to a title shot should he defeat Della Maddalena convincingly
- The stylistic contrast between Prates's high-output striking and Makhachev's grappling-heavy control game frames both upcoming fights as significant tests of each man's game plan
