An analyst suggests Carlos Prates now has ammunition to call out Islam Makhachev by pointing out he finished Jack Della Maddalena, something Makhachev did not do. This creates potential for media rivalry and trash talk between Prates and the lightweight champion. The post notes that Makhachev now has multiple potential opponents creating storylines, including Ian Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov alongside Prates. The comment highlights how finishing Della Maddalena gives Prates a talking point in building hype for a potential future fight.
Carlos Prates now has a concrete talking point to aim at Islam Makhachev after finishing Jack Della Maddalena — something the welterweight champion never managed to do — according to an analyst commenting on the divisional landscape.
Prates's stoppage of Della Maddalena hands the Brazilian a built-in piece of trash talk heading into any future campaign for a title shot. The logic is straightforward: Makhachev beat Della Maddalena but could not put him away, while Prates did. That gap in résumés gives Prates a narrative weapon that could fuel media rounds and build public pressure for a matchup.
Makhachev, 34, holds the welterweight title with a 28-1 record and carries elite grappling credentials, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes at 58 percent striking accuracy. The Russian champion now sits at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings and finds himself surrounded by a crowded field of contenders generating competing storylines.
Della Maddalena, the 29-year-old Australian ranked fourth in the division at 18-4, is one of the busiest strikers in welterweight, landing 5.57 significant strikes per minute. Being finished gives any opponent a claim Makhachev simply cannot make.
Shavkat Rakhmonov, ranked third at 19-0, is another name in the mix. The undefeated Kazakhstani known as Nomad stands six-foot-four with a 77-inch reach and posts a striking accuracy of 60 percent, making him a legitimate threat from a different stylistic direction.
Why it matters
- Prates now holds a finishing result over Della Maddalena that Makhachev does not, creating a ready-made media angle
- Makhachev faces a crowded contender picture that includes Prates, Rakhmonov, and Ian Garry, each with a distinct storyline
- A potential Prates-Makhachev matchup pits a finishing striker against one of the division's premier grapplers, offering a sharp stylistic contrast
