Carlos Prates announced he will fight the winner of the welterweight title bout scheduled for UFC 330 on August 15th. He stated he will be sitting ringside watching Islam Makhachev face Ian Garry and will fight the victor. Prates praised Jack Della Maddalena's boxing and admitted he feared his hands, but believes himself to be the superior striker. He emphasized his ability to strike with hands, legs, and knees, demonstrating his well-rounded striking game. The post asked fans whether Prates deserves an immediate title shot or needs a contender fight with Vicente Luque first.
Carlos Prates has put the welterweight division on notice, publicly declaring he intends to fight the winner of the Islam Makhachev versus Ian Garry title bout at UFC 330 on August 15th.
Prates announced he plans to be ringside for the championship fight and will call out whoever walks away with the belt. In the same breath, he addressed the elephant in the room regarding fellow contender Jack Della Maddalena, acknowledging that the Australian's boxing gave him genuine concern. Despite that respect, Prates maintained he is the superior overall striker, pointing to his ability to combine hands, legs, and knees as a more complete offensive weapon.
Standing as the reigning welterweight champion, Islam Makhachev carries a 28-1-0 record and brings a suffocating blend of grappling and striking to the division. The 34-year-old Russian lands 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and completes submissions at a rate of 1.1 per 15 minutes, making him a layered threat beyond his 58 percent striking accuracy.
Della Maddalena, ranked fourth at 170 pounds and 13th pound-for-pound, represents the kind of boxing-heavy danger Prates referenced. The 29-year-old Australian holds an 18-4-0 record and produces a remarkable 5.57 significant strikes landed per minute, one of the highest outputs in the division.
Vicente Luque, nicknamed The Silent Assassin, enters the conversation as a potential mandatory stop for Prates before any title opportunity. The 34-year-old carries a 24-12-1 record and averages 4.83 significant strikes per minute alongside 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes, offering a well-rounded stylistic challenge.
Why it matters
- A win by either Makhachev or Garry at UFC 330 reshapes the welterweight title picture immediately
- Prates inserting himself keeps pressure on the UFC to clarify the next challenger
- A potential Prates versus Luque contender bout would pit two high-volume strikers against each other in a meaningful eliminator
