Carlos Prates believes he will be next in line for a title shot after defeating Jack Madalena. He stated that after the August fight between Ian Garry and Islam Makhachev, he will fight the winner of that bout. Prates is confident that a victory over former champion Madalena will be enough to earn him the number one contender position. The channel asked followers whether beating a former champion like Madalena would be sufficient to become the next challenger. This comes as Prates continues his rise in the welterweight division with an impressive knockout streak.
Carlos Prates has made his ambitions clear, publicly stating he expects to fight for the welterweight title after the August showdown between Islam Makhachev and Ian Garry, following his victory over Jack Madalena.
Prates, known as "The Nightmare," enters this conversation riding a momentum-building knockout streak that has elevated him to the fifth-ranked position in the welterweight division. The 32-year-old Brazilian out of Vale Top Team carries a 24-7 record and brings genuine finishing power to every fight, averaging 3.77 significant strikes landed per minute with 55 percent accuracy. At six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach — a notable 198 cm — the switch-stance striker has the physical tools to create problems for anyone in the division. Prates is confident that a win over Madalena, a former champion, constitutes a strong enough résumé to claim the number one contender spot.
Standing across the divisional landscape is current welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, who holds a 28-1 record and sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings. The 34-year-old Russian southpaw from Eagles MMA is a complete fighter, posting 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 1.1 submission attempts in the same span, complemented by 58 percent striking accuracy. Makhachev is set to defend his title against Ian Garry in August, and it is the winner of that contest whom Prates is targeting.
Why it matters
- A Prates callout of the Makhachev-Garry winner puts him in direct competition for the next title opportunity in a crowded welterweight contender picture.
- Prates at rank five would need other contenders to fall back or lose ground for his claim to go unchallenged.
- The stylistic contrast is stark — Prates brings elite volume striking and reach, while Makhachev's game is built around elite grappling and submission threats.
- How convincingly Prates finishes Madalena will likely determine whether the UFC views his contender claim as credible.
