Sean Shelby's Shoes: What's next for Carlos Prates after UFC Perth win?

Carlos Prates put the welterweight division on notice at UFC Fight Night 275 with a complete annihilation of Jack Della Maddalena.

Prates (24-7 MMA, 7-1 UFC) was impressive from start to finish against Della Maddalena (18-4 MMA, 8-2 UFC), who he picked apart from the bottom up with a dazzling display of striking en route to a third-round TKO at RAC Arena in Perth, Australia.

The Brazilian has been a knockout machine since he debuted in the octagon in 2024. He's put away everyone aside from Ian Machado Garry, who beat him in a competitive decision in April 2025. Since that fight he's rebounded with highlight wins over Geoff Neal, Leon Edwards and now Della Maddalena, whose toughness allowed Prates to show off the depth of his striking arsenal. And what an arsenal it was.

Following the win, Prates made his case for a welterweight title shot, laying out a roadmap of either challenging pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev or avenging his loss to Machado Garry with gold on the line. It seems like a good plan should Makhachev vs. Machado Garry come to fruition for UFC 330 on Aug. 15 in Philadelphia.

At this point, there's nothing more appealing for Prates in this division than a fight for the belt. He's smoked two of the past four 170-pound titleholders, and now it's time to see if he can get ahold of it for himself. Makhachev is seemingly a stylistic issue for him, but it's inarguable that Prates would also be capable of knocking him out.

There's been some calls for Prates to fight undefeated Michael Morales in a true No. 1 contender bout, but honestly, Prates deserves better at this point. He has nothing left to prove in terms of that opportunity, while Morales is arguably lacking another signature win to make himself undeniable.

He's going to have to find it elsewhere, though, because the Prates that showed up Saturday is championship caliber.

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: