After beating former champ Jack Della Maddalena to a pulp at UFC Perth this past weekend, Carlos Prates seemingly leaked welterweight champion Islam Makhachev’s next bout. The Brazilian told the media that he is next in line for a title shot, following Makhachev’s clash with his rival-turned-friend Ian Machado Garry. With that, the MMA world was convinced that Makhachev’s return opponent had been finalized. But that doesn’t seem to be the case anymore.

Now, the UFC welterweight champion has responded to the leak while simultaneously hinting that Prates could also very well be his next opponent.

“The UFC haven’t informed me about it yet,” Islam Makhachev told Red Corner MMA. “But there’s been a lot of rumors about me fighting Ian Garry next. Yet I haven’t talked with any UFC officials about this fight. So I can’t tell for sure who is the next contender. I’ve got three to four more possible matchups.

“Kamaru Usman is also up there. Ian Garry, Morales, Prates. Four of them, plus Shavkat might be No. 5. They’re all expecting a title shot. I definitely need to fight someone, whoever the UFC match me up against. Also, there’s a couple of matchups which would determine the real contender. I think Prates has got the hype now. He’s talked about much more now. So I think a fight with him would be the most interesting.”

After Dana White revealed that Islam Makhachev’s hand injury ruled him out of a potential superfight against Ilia Topuria at UFC White House, his return has been nothing but a series of rumors and conflicting reports. The Dagestani champ wanted to return in July, which the UFC CEO dismissed, stating they are now targeting August.

With that in mind, fans believed that the 34-year-old would defend his title at UFC 330, scheduled at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, on August 15. As for the opponent, Ian Garry looked to be the frontrunner even before Carlos Prates leaked the possible matchup at UFC Perth, especially after Garry’s convincing win over Belal Muhammad at UFC Qatar.

Plus, there is also the Russia vs Ireland storyline that could echo the Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov rivalry. That narrative alone adds intrigue to a potential clash between Makhachev and Garry. 

However, there have been serious conversations around other contenders as well. Recently, Michael Morales stirred the pot by uploading a picture with Hunter Campbell. While the Ecuadorian did not confirm anything, he is definitely emerging as a prime contender for a title fight.

On the other hand, Kamaru Usman remains on Makhachev’s target list, as the champion has expressed interest in facing the Nigerian in a legacy matchup. But Dricus du Plessis’ camp has hinted at a potential fight with Usman next. With so many developments surrounding Makhachev’s contenders, it remains to be seen who will emerge as the opponent.

Still, with his return likely in August, it’s possible that Garry remains the leading option, given that he presents a fresher matchup than Prates. Also, after Prates’ recent win, the Irishman became the current number one welterweight contender, and that makes his case even stronger.

If the fight does happen, one 170 lbs contender believes the Dagestani would run through the Irishman with ease.

A welterweight contender believes Islam Makhachev would submit Ian Garry

At some point, Sean Brady was in the mix to become the next challenger. However, Michael Morales handed him a devastating loss at UFC 322, knocking Brady off his No. 1 spot in the rankings. Now, the Philly native, who is scheduled to face Joaquin Buckley at UFC 328 this weekend, is watching the division’s developments unfold in real-time and has seemingly grown more puzzled.

“Islam coming up really threw a wrench into everything,” Brady told MMA Junkie. “Then obviously him winning threw an even bigger wrench, the division is kind of weird. Who is Morales going to fight next? It’s a crazy division, but it’s one of the best, and hopefully everything keeps moving.

“There are a lot of big fights coming up that will keep us moving. As far as who is going to win that fight, Islam is going to run through Ian(Garry). Simple as that. He’s going to sub him, for sure.”

With the MMA world looking ahead to the UFC announcing an opponent soon, fans will be hoping to see Makhachev make his return in August at the latest. The Dagestani champion’s next fight should also provide clarity on what Dana White and the rest of the UFC brass are planning for the welterweight division.