Carlos Prates has outlined his fight plans, stating he intends to fight Islam Makhachev first to claim the belt before taking on Michael Morales. When approached about a December bout with Morales, Prates made clear December is reserved for Makhachev, with a Morales fight penciled in around April.
Carlos Prates has laid out an ambitious two-fight roadmap, making clear he wants to challenge welterweight champion Islam Makhachev before turning his attention to divisional rival Michael Morales. The Brazilian contender addressed a potential December matchup with Morales directly, stating that month is reserved for a title shot against Makhachev, with a bout against Morales penciled in for around April instead.
Prates, known as "The Nightmare," enters this picture as the number-two ranked welterweight at 32 years old. The Brazilian carries a 24-7 record and has built his reputation as a high-output striker, landing 3.77 significant strikes per minute at 55 percent accuracy. Standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, he fights out of a switch stance and rarely looks for the takedown, averaging just 0.21 per fifteen minutes.
The champion he is targeting, Makhachev, holds a 28-1 record and currently sits atop both the welterweight division and the pound-for-pound rankings. The 34-year-old Russian, who trains with Eagles MMA and fights out of a southpaw stance, is a well-rounded threat who averages 3.2 takedowns per fifteen minutes alongside 1.1 submission attempts in the same span. His striking accuracy of 58 percent is among the sharpest in the sport.
Standing between Prates and that April timeline is Morales, the undefeated Ecuadorian ranked third at welterweight. At just 27 years old, Morales carries a perfect 19-0 record and leads all three fighters in output, landing 5.62 significant strikes per minute. His six-foot frame and a 79-inch reach — the longest of the three — make him a physically imposing matchup for anyone in the division.
Why it matters
- Prates at number two and Morales at number three represent back-to-back title contenders, so both fights carry major divisional stakes
- A Prates win over Makhachev would mark a significant style clash between elite wrestling and high-volume striking
- The proposed Morales bout in April could serve as either a title defense tune-up or a contender eliminator depending on how the December plans unfold
