Carlos Prates says his next UFC title shot is already locked in. The Brazilian welterweight was in Philadelphia for UFC 330, when he witnessed Islam Makhachev successfully defend his 170-pound title against Ian Machado Garry. However, ‘The Nightmare’ claims that the bigger news came after the event.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
During a recent conversation with Ariel Helwani, Prates said that he met with UFC chief business officer Hunter Campbell and his manager, Lucas, and claims the meeting resulted in a new contract, as well as a clear commitment from the UFC that the 33-year-old will be next in line for the welterweight title.
“I’m the next for the title. Basically, yeah. New contract. The next one for the title, and let’s go,” Prates told Helwani. “Eight fights, I think. I think eight. I think eight.”
This suggests that his new contract with the UFC includes eight more fights, which means he will be around for quite some time. The announcement came after Carlos Prates had hoped to earn a title opportunity against Makhachev before Ian Garry. Instead, the Irishman was given the opportunity at UFC 330, where the Dagestani phenom won a divisive unanimous decision, extending his UFC winning streak to a record 17 fights.
Still, ‘The Nightmare’ didn’t leave Philadelphia with just a contract in hand. Islam Makhachev appeared to back him as the next challenger after the fight, which the Brazilian admitted was “really good.” So, Carlos Prates is now hoping the champion returns quickly enough for them to fight.
“I hope so, bro. I hope so,” he said about speculations of Islam Makhachev making a quick return. “I would love to fight in December. You know, I fought already, MSG, and I didn’t fought at T-Mobile Arena. So, I really love to fight there.
“I don’t think he want to back quickly. No, like, he fought JDM, and then he got time off, you know, like, it was easy fight. He didn’t get damage. He—he didn’t get any injury. And now I think he broken his nose. So, I don’t think you’re gonna fight until December, bro.”
However, Carlos Prates isn’t particularly worried about waiting.
“It’s okay, bro. It’s okay,” he added. “I’m not rush, you know? Like, as much it’s, I need to wait.
“I going to be training also, you know, going to be studying, going to be training. So, I can be, like, more ready.”
The 33-year-old has emerged as one of the UFC’s most deadly finishers. Carlos Prates is 24-7 overall and 7-1 in the UFC, with all seven wins coming via knockout, including knockout victories over former welterweight champions Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards.
Yet despite Islam Makhachev’s historic accomplishments, ‘The Nightmare’ is unimpressed with the champion’s first two welterweight fights.
“I think [Makhachev’s style] is boring,” he confessed. “I don’t like watching fights at all. Striking fights or some friends, of course, I like to watch. But especially if there’s a grappler fighting, I don’t like to watch. I like to watch people getting knockouts, a lot of action, and things like that.”
As optimistic as ‘The Nightmare’ is about being next for the Dagestani phenom, nothing is official just yet, especially since welterweight contender Michael Morales was also present at UFC 330 and could potentially stand in Carlos Prates’ way for a title fight.
Carlos Prates faces competition from Michael Morales for the Islam Makhachev title shot
There is no denying that the undefeated Ecuadorian is already regarded as one of the division’s most dangerous prospects, with some sportsbooks even giving Michael Morales a better chance of defeating Islam Makhachev than Carlos Prates. However, the Brazilian seems unconcerned about being overtaken by the 19-0 fighter.
“Bro, I think he’s going to fight, maybe, I don’t know, Belal Muhammad or somebody, another fighter,” Prates told Helwani. “Maybe, I don’t know, another fight, but he need to fight one more.”
Carlos Prates also said that he spoke with Michael Morales at UFC 330 and told him directly that he plans to fight Makhachev next. In fact, the Brazilian also joked about what might happen once he receives his title shot.
“He’s a nice guy, you know, and then we met at the fight, and then he asked me if I going to fight or not,” he continued. “And then I say, of course, no, because I’m next for the title, and he knew it already.
“But I tell him, after the fight, after I beat Islam, I’m going to beat him and Ian (Garry). Yeah, that’s it. But he’s a nice guy.”
Carlos Prates had already made his intentions clear before speaking with Helwani. At UFC 330, the knockout artist arrived wearing a shirt that simply read, “I’m Next.”
When asked why he believes Morales should not receive the title fight right away, ‘The Nightmare’ acknowledged the Ecuadorian’s physical strength but questioned whether his wrestling reputation is fully justified.
“Grappling? I don’t know,” he said. “Everybody calls that guy a wrestler, but I’ve never seen him try to get a takedown. He’s really heavy, but in terms of technique and things like that, I think I’m much better.”
Well, seeing that Morales has 14 TKOs, 4 decisions, and only 1 submission win, and that too back in 2019, we can barely blame Carlos Prates here.
For now, Carlos Prates looks content to wait, train, and prepare for what he sees as his best shot in the UFC. If the promotion keeps the promise he claims was made in Philadelphia, the next stop might be a title fight against the legendary welterweight champion.