Carlos Prates is heading into this weekend’s UFC Perth main event with Jack Della Maddalena already talking about championship stakes.
Prates, who knocked out Leon Edwards at UFC 322 in November, believes a win over Della Maddalena should launch him straight into a UFC welterweight title fight. “The title shot [is next],” Prates said.
He pointed to his recent and upcoming opposition as the basis for that claim. “Because I’m going to beat two former champs in a row, you know? So yeah, nobody [else] did it. You have Morales, but he didn’t [beat] any former champ. You have Ian [Machado Garry], he’s going to fight now against Makhachev. So the next gonna be Carlos Prates.”
Prates also dismissed the idea of facing former champion Kamaru Usman next, despite Usman calling for a title shot after a decision win over Joaquin Buckley at UFC Atlanta. “No, [Kamaru Usman doesn’t make sense], it’s going to be a title shot. No chance. After that fight, I’m just going to fight for the belt.”
With Islam Makhachev waiting for his next welterweight title defense to be announced and Morales and Ian Machado Garry mentioned among the top contenders, Prates insists his path is clear if he gets past Della Maddalena in Perth.
Prates even briefly entertained the idea of moving divisions in the future. “OK, so then I go to the lightweights, I’m going to fight to the lightweight belt,” he said, before adding, “I can do 155. Of course, I can. Normally I have 85 kg, 84, so I can do lightweight. But I’m kidding.”
