Carlos Prates was already seen as dangerous. After what he did to Jack Della Maddalena, dangerous may no longer be enough to describe him. In a division packed with killers, contenders, and unfinished business, ‘The Nightmare’ may have punched right over the line—and, according to Daniel Cormier, all the way into the title picture.

That is how significantly this performance changed things. ‘DC’ admitted he was stunned watching Prates dismantle Della Maddalena in a way few imagined possible. Not just beating him, but tearing him down with unnerving composure.

“Carlos Prates has now put himself on the shortlist of fighters who could potentially challenge the champion Islam Makhachev,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “He was already close (before that performance). You beat the former champion in the way that he beat Della Maddalena – because that was bad.

“Honestly, when I was watching that from afar, I was like, ‘How?’ Because I’ve never seen Jack just get beat on like that. I thought Jack Della Maddalena had a style that would create some real issues for Prates. No issues at all for Carlos—his punching power, his knees, his ability to go first, and his calm demeanor.”

What made that statement hit harder was the comparison that followed: Islam destroyed Della Maddalena to win the belt, but Daniel Cormier thought Carlos Prates’ performance was even more impressive.

That’s championship talk. And perhaps the most significant part is what Cormier believes changed. Against Ian Machado Garry, ‘The Nightmare’ appeared to be overwhelmed by the spotlight. This time, there was no hesitation.

“That performance told me two things: One, Prates is ready to compete for the UFC championship. Two, Prates learned (from his loss). Against Ian Garry, he froze,” Cormier continued. “He did not fight well, and Ian Garry’s an absolute stud. I don’t care what you think of him. Ian Garry’s an absolute stud, but in that fight, Carlos looked like he just wasn’t ready.

“We had him smoking cigarettes all over the internet the week of the fight—all these things that just didn’t seem like he was ready for the spotlight the main event carries. Not this time, though. I watched him deliver at a level that tells me he’s championship-ready. Dude’s championship-ready right now.”

In fact, Cormier even hinted that even if Ian Garry were snubbed of his title fight against Islam Makhachev right now, fans simply wouldn’t care.

“Here’s the issue: The weight class is so stacked,” he added. “It feels like it’s going to be Ian Garry, but if it was to be Prates after that, nobody would complain.

“I’ll tell you why: We just saw Islam beat Jack Della Maddalena in the way that he did. We saw him dominate JDM to win the championship. The way Islam beat Jack was not nearly as impressive as what Carlos Prates did.”

But what if the UFC decides to have Ian Garry face Islam Makhachev instead? According to Daniel Cormier, he would hate to see ‘The Nightmare’ simply wait for his chance. Instead, if it were to ‘DC,’ he would book Prates to fight an unbeaten contender instead.

Daniel Cormier pits Carlos Prates for a title eliminator

Daniel Cormier’s praise for Carlos Prates reveals one thing: he sees a potential champion. However, if Ian Machado Garry gets the next shot at Islam Makhachev, Cormier does not want ‘The Nightmare’ sitting on the sidelines waiting for his moment. In his eyes, momentum like this is too dangerous to waste. So, only one fight makes sense.

“Because of the weight class being what it is, he might have to fight again,” Cormier said. “If he does, you hope it’s Morales.”

And, truthfully, it feels like a brutal but perfect eliminator. Michael Morales is still unbeaten and has quietly established himself as one of the division’s sharpest new threats, while Carlos Prates now carries the aura of a wrecking ball following two straight demolitions of former champions.

Put the two together, and the winner leaves little room for dispute regarding who should win the title next. What makes it even more intriguing is how close Michael Morales already was to this conversation.

Before Prates got matched with Jack Della Maddalena, Morales was reportedly one of the names floating around as a possible opponent for the former champion.

“I was excited,” Della Maddalena told MMA Junkie. “Carlos and Michael Morales, they were sort of the two names that were floating about, that the UFC said they were keen to matchup.

“So I was just sort of waiting but either one of those. I was really excited about either one of those.”

That shows that the UFC already sees him at that level. Consider the stakes if he faces Carlos Prates instead—two unbeaten-feeling forces, one proven finisher, one undefeated challenger, and a clear path to the throne on the other side.

If Ian Garry gets Islam Makhachev first, Daniel Cormier’s solution is simple: let ‘The Nightmare’ and Michael Morales settle who truly owns the next spot in line.