Carlos Prates revealed a plan discussed with Ian Garry approximately three weeks ago for a potential title fight between them. According to the plan, Prates would defeat Maddalena while Garry beats Makhachev, leading to a fight between the two in Brazil. Prates believes the UFC would make this matchup happen. If Garry wins the belt, Prates suggested it would be a rematch between them. The ambitious scenario depends on both fighters winning their respective upcoming bouts.
Carlos Prates has revealed that he and Ian Garry mapped out a path to a title fight roughly three weeks before their respective upcoming bouts, with both fighters needing to win for the scenario to play out.
According to Prates, the plan is straightforward: he defeats Maddalena, Garry upsets welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, and the two then meet in Brazil for the belt. Prates added that if Garry walks away with the title, their matchup would constitute a rematch, and he believes the UFC would be willing to book it.
Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," enters his fight ranked fifth in the welterweight division. The 32-year-old Brazilian trains out of Vale Top Team and brings a physically imposing frame to the 170-pound class, standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach. Fighting out of a switch stance, he generates an aggressive output of 3.77 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy, making him one of the more dangerous strikers in the division.
Standing in the way of Garry's end of the bargain is Makhachev, the reigning welterweight champion and current pound-for-pound king. The 34-year-old Russian holds a 28-1 record and trains with Eagles MMA. A southpaw at five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach, Makhachev blends elite grappling with sharp striking, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes alongside a striking accuracy of 58 percent.
Why it matters
- A Prates win over Maddalena would cement his standing as a legitimate title contender at welterweight
- A Garry victory over Makhachev would be one of the biggest upsets in recent divisional history and instantly create compelling rematch narratives
- The Brazil setting adds a significant promotional angle, given Prates's home country fanbase
- Both outcomes are required for this plan to advance, making it a high-stakes parlay for everyone involved
