Daniel Cormier has proposed replacing Ian Garry with Carlos Prates as Islam Makhachev's next opponent. Cormier explained that while Makhachev dominated Jack Della Maddalena en route to winning the championship belt, Prates' victory over Della Maddalena was far more impressive. Cormier described Prates' performance as "real madness" and suggested that Della Maddalena was simply not on Prates' level. The commentary implies that a matchup between Makhachev and Prates would be more intriguing than one with Garry. Cormier's analysis is based on comparing how both fighters performed against the same opponent in Della Maddalena.
Former UFC heavyweight champion and longtime broadcaster Daniel Cormier has publicly called for Carlos Prates to step in as Islam Makhachev's next welterweight title challenger, arguing the Brazilian contender has done more to earn the shot than the currently slated Ian Garry.
Makhachev, 34, is now the reigning welterweight champion after dominating Jack Della Maddalena to claim the belt. The Russian southpaw carries a 28-1 record and holds the number-one spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. Fighting out of Eagles MMA, Makhachev averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands 58 percent of his significant strikes, making him one of the most complete fighters in the sport regardless of weight class.
Della Maddalena, ranked fourth in the welterweight division and 13th pound-for-pound, is a 29-year-old Australian striker who puts up eye-catching volume at 5.57 significant strikes per minute. His 18-4 record had made him a credible title challenger, but back-to-back losses have now complicated his standing.
Prates, nicknamed "The Nightmare," enters the conversation on the strength of his own win over Della Maddalena — a performance Cormier described as "real madness." The 32-year-old Brazilian holds a 24-7 record and sits fifth in the welterweight rankings. At six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, Prates carries a natural physical advantage over much of the division and lands significant strikes at a rate of 3.77 per minute with 55 percent accuracy.
Cormier's argument rests on a straightforward comparison: both Makhachev and Prates beat the same opponent, but Prates did it in a manner he found far more striking, suggesting Della Maddalena was simply not in Prates' class.
Why it matters
- Makhachev needs a credible welterweight challenger with Garry's status uncertain
- Prates' finish of Della Maddalena gives him a direct statistical argument for a title shot
- A Makhachev-Prates matchup would pit the champion's elite grappling against one of the division's most dangerous strikers
