Carlos Prates plans to secure a UFC title shot by defeating Jack Della Maddalena on May 2, after previously knocking out Leon Edwards. He believes a second consecutive win over a former champion will make him the top contender for the 170-pound belt.
Carlos Prates will fight another former UFC welterweight champion in the octagon on May 2, and heās confident that a finish ā and a bonus ā earns him a shot at the 170-pound belt after Ian Machado Garry faces Islam Makhachev.
Prates gave Leon Edwards the first knockout loss of his career in November and called out Jack Della Maddalena next in Australia. The UFC granted both wishes, pairing them up for the main event of UFC Perth, and Prates vows to āget there and bring that title shot to Brazil.ā
āI think that beating a former champion for the second time in a row, and by knockout, will lock in the title shot,ā Prates told MMA Fighting. āThereās no one else for them to give the fight to but me. If everything goes right and I win another bonus, thatāll be eight fights and seven bonuses. Come on, who else is there? Is [Michael] Morales going to fight? How? In what way? Thereās no way. Heās never beaten a former champion. The kid is undefeated, heās good, but thereās no way.ā
The UFC has yet to announce who will be the first in line to challenge Makhachev. UFC CEO Dana White recently revealed the Russian star will re-enter the octagon in August, and Prates believes Garry will be the opponent. Prates, in fact, said he wonāt campaign to face leapfrog Garry.
āI donāt want to come out of this fight and already fight for the belt in August,ā Prates said. āOf course, Iāll fight if the UFC calls me, but Iād rather let Ian Garry fight and then weāll see what happens, and I fight later. I want time to take care of my injuries, recover after the fight, get back to training, improve a bit, and then fight. Iām not in a rush.ā
Garry was the only men to beat Prates in seven UFC fights, winning a five-round decision in April 2025. The Irishman won a decision over former champion Belal Muhammad in November, while Prates rebounded with back-to-back knockouts over Geoff Neal and Edwards.
Garry will likely be the betting underdog against Makhachev, but Prates is hopeful that the belt changes hands.
āIām rooting for it to change so Ian Garry and I can have our rematch for the belt,ā Prates said. āWe want that rematch here in Brazil, you know? He called me about three weeks ago and we have a plan: I beat Maddalena, he beats Makhachev, and then we do our rematch here in Brazil.ā
āI think the UFC will match us up,ā he added, when asked of a potential Garry vs. Makchachev immediate rematch. āIf he wins the belt, then weāll do our rematch.ā
Prates needs to get the job done in Perth to then āhopeā for the second part of that scenario to come to fruition, and he sees Maddalena as ādefinitely the toughest opponentā of his MMA career so far.
āLeon Edwards is also a former champion, but I think he was already coming off several losses,ā Prates said. āNow letās see Jack Della Maddalena. Usually when a champion loses the belt, they start losing, losing, losing. Letās hope that happens [laughs], that itās his second straight loss. Iām working really hard for that because I think heās one of the toughest guys Iāll face. He was a champion and went five rounds with Makhachev, not everyone can do that.ā
Prates praised Maddalenaās boxing skills, but thinks heās the best striker in the welterweight division today. He wouldnāt go as far as call himself the best in all of MMA because heās a fan of others strikers, citing Alex Pereira and Usman Nurmagomedov. Yet, he respects Maddalenaās hands.
āHeās that kind of boxer who doesnāt move his head much and throws his hands trying to knock you out, you know?ā Prates said. āHeās a good boxer, and Iām a good striker. I can also throw knees, kicks, elbows. Letās see how he reacts on May 2.ā
Q&A
What is Carlos Prates' plan for a UFC title shot?
Carlos Prates plans to secure a UFC title shot by defeating Jack Della Maddalena on May 2, aiming for a knockout finish.
Who did Carlos Prates previously defeat to earn this title shot opportunity?
Carlos Prates previously defeated Leon Edwards, giving him the first knockout loss of Edwards' career.
When is Carlos Prates' fight against Jack Della Maddalena scheduled?
Carlos Prates' fight against Jack Della Maddalena is scheduled for May 2.
What does Carlos Prates believe will secure him a title shot after his next fight?
Carlos Prates believes that beating a former champion for the second time in a row will secure him a title shot, especially if he earns another performance bonus.
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