Rankings Shakeup: Carlos Prates joins top 5 after UFC Perth, is he a championship threat?

PERTH, AUSTRALIA - MAY 02: Carlos Prates of Brazil prepares to face Jack Della Maddalena of Australia in a welterweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at RAC Arena on May 02, 2026 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Ed Mulholland/Zuffa LLC)

Carlos Prates answered a lot of questions at UFC Perth.

Could he beat another former welterweight champion fresh off of losing their title? Check. Could he do it in dominant fashion? Check. Is it time for him to get his title shot? TBD.

One thing is for certain, support for a Prates title shot has never been higher as he has now won three straight fights, seven of eight in the UFC, and delivered a bonus-winning finish in each victory. In what has been a bounce-back campaign for the Fighting Nerds team, Prates is the hottest member of the talented team right now.

Following an absolute drubbing of Jack Della Maddalena on Saturday, Prates cracks MMA Fighting’s top 5 at 170 pounds, while sending Della Maddalena plummeting four spots to No. 6. It’s an impressive rise for Prates and a stunning fall for “JDM,” who was champion just six months ago and now looks like he’s far from contending for that title again.

It’s unlikely Prates is granted a title opportunity with champion Islam Makhachev expected to defend against Ian Machado Garry next, but the talented Brazilian remains on the list of future challengers, alongside Michael Morales and Shavkat Rakhmonov, who fans want to see put Makhachev to the test.

Check out MMA Fighting’s updated 170-pound rankings below.

Recent results for ranked fighters (previous ranking shown): No. 7 Carlos Prates def. No. 2 Jack Della Maddalena