Carlos Prates and Ian Garry have discussed a plan for a future title fight between them. According to Prates, the scenario would involve him defeating Joaquin Buckley, Garry beating Islam Makhachev to win the lightweight championship, and then the two facing each other in Brazil. Prates expressed confidence that the UFC would make the fight happen, describing it as a potential rematch if Garry captures the belt. The plan is highly speculative and depends on multiple outcomes that have not yet occurred. Both fighters would need to win their respective upcoming bouts for this scenario to materialize.
Carlos Prates has laid out an ambitious multi-step scenario that would culminate in a welterweight title fight between himself and Ian Garry, held in Brazil.
According to Prates, the plan hinges on a chain of specific results: Prates defeating Joaquin Buckley, Garry going up to lightweight and beating Islam Makhachev to capture that championship, and then the two meeting on Brazilian soil in what Prates described as a potential rematch. Prates expressed confidence the UFC would be willing to make that fight happen should all the pieces fall into place.
Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," is a 32-year-old Brazilian southpaw-switch striker currently ranked fifth in the welterweight division with a record of 24-7. Standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, he is one of the busier and more accurate strikers in the division, landing 3.77 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy.
His next required step involves Joaquin Buckley, the 11th-ranked welterweight from the United States. Buckley, also 32, carries a 21-8 record and generates an even higher striking output at 3.88 significant strikes per minute, though his accuracy sits at 36 percent. At five-foot-ten with a 76-inch reach, "New Mansa" presents a physically smaller but high-volume test for Prates.
The second piece of the puzzle rests with Makhachev, the reigning welterweight champion from Russia. The 34-year-old holds a 28-1 record and remains the pound-for-pound top fighter in the sport, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing strikes at a 58 percent accuracy rate.
Why it matters
- Prates would need a win over a top-15 welterweight to keep his title momentum alive
- The scenario requires Garry to move up a division and dethrone one of the most dominant champions in the sport
- A title fight in Brazil would carry significant promotional and cultural weight for Prates and the UFC
