Islam Makhachev responded to Carlos Prates' recent victory with a humorous comment on social media. The lightweight champion wrote "Great work, Nutella Cake" in Russian, using an apparent nickname for the Brazilian striker. The post appears to be Makhachev's lighthearted acknowledgment of Prates' impressive performance. The interaction suggests awareness of Prates as a potential future opponent, though details about context or tone are limited in the original post.
Islam Makhachev took to social media to acknowledge Carlos Prates following the Brazilian's recent victory, offering a characteristically dry salute that quickly drew attention online. The reigning welterweight champion wrote "Great work, Nutella Cake" in Russian, deploying what appears to be a playful nickname for the hard-hitting striker from Brazil.
Makhachev, 34, holds a 28-1 record and sits atop both the welterweight division and the pound-for-pound rankings. The Russian, who trains out of Eagles MMA, is a southpaw standing five-foot-ten with a 70-inch reach. His game is built on suffocating grappling — averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes — but he also lands 2.63 significant strikes per minute at a remarkably efficient 58 percent accuracy, making him dangerous in every phase.
Prates, known as "The Nightmare," enters this moment of spotlight ranked fifth at welterweight with a 24-7 record. The 32-year-old Brazilian out of Vale Top Team is a switch-stance striker who stands six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, giving him a considerable physical frame for the division. He lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute, among the higher outputs in the weight class, and his near-total absence of takedown or submission attempts — 0.21 takedowns per 15 minutes and zero submission attempts — underlines how purely he operates on the feet.
Why it matters
- Makhachev's public acknowledgment, however tongue-in-cheek, signals awareness of Prates as a name worth watching at welterweight.
- At ranked fifth, Prates is within striking distance of a title-contention conversation if he continues winning.
- The stylistic contrast is stark: Makhachev's elite wrestling against one of the division's most active strikers would present a compelling tactical puzzle.
