UFC Knockout Artist Carlos Prates Claims Islam Makhachev Title Fight is Next

Do you think "The Nightmare" has been promised the next welterweight title shot?

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There may not be a date yet, but top UFC welterweight contender Carlos Prates claims that he’ll be fighting Islam Makhachev his next time out.

Currently the UFC’s top-ranked pound-for-pound male fighter, Makhachev is on a 17-fight win streak that began after he was upset by Adriano Martins in his second UFC bout back in 2015.

That winning run included a lengthy lightweight title reign before Makhachev moved up to welterweight last year at UFC 322, where he dominated Jack Della Maddalena to claim that division’s title.

Carlos Prates Next UFC Fight Will Be Against Islam Makhachev

After successfully defending the lightweight belt on four occasions, Makhachev made his first defense of the UFC welterweight belt last month when he defeated Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision in the main event of UFC 330.

Islam Makhachev (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Ian Machado Garry (blue gloves) in the welterweight title bout during UFC 330 at Xfinity Mobile Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Fans are eager for news of which top welterweight contender will challenge the champion next, and Carlos Prates claimed during last night’s Dana White’s Contender Series event in Las Vegas that he’ll be squaring off with Makhachev his next time out.

Carlos Prates (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Leon Edwards (not pictured) in the welterweight bout during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“[I’m fighting] Islam Makhachev [next],” Prates responded when asked by N3ON about his next fight during the latter’s stream at DWCS Week 7. “I don’t know when, but I will. I wish it’s in Vegas in December, but I don’t think so. Maybe January, something like that.”

Islam Makhachev (blue gloves) acknowledges the crowd after defeating Jack Della Maddalena (not pictured) in the welterweight championship bout during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

N3ON featured prominently in combat sports headlines last week leading up to UFC 331, as the streamer was corning Arman Tsarukyan when the top-ranked lightweight contender brutally stopped Mauricio Ruffy om the UFC 331 main card.

"The Nightmare" Coming Off Back-to-Back Knockouts of Ex-UFC Champions

Prates might just be indicating that he wants to challenge Makhachev next without having actually been guaranteed a title shot from the UFC, but the Brazilian does have a strong case for what would be his first crack at UFC gold.

Carlos Prates (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Leon Edwards (red gloves) in the welterweight bout during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A contract winner on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, Prates won his first four UFC outings via knockout and secured “Performance of the Night” bonuses for all of those victories.

Carlos Prates (blue gloves) prepares to fight Ian Machado Garry (not pictured) during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A UFC Fight Night main event with Machado Garry in April of last year saw “The Nightmare” suffer his first UFC loss, but he rebounded in stunning fashion just a few months later when he slept Geoff Neal with an incredible spinning elbow at UFC 319.

Ian Machado Garry (red gloves) reacts with Carlos Prates (blue gloves) after the fight during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The victory kicked off what has now become an impressive three-fight win streak for Prates, as he also knocked out former UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards in November before stopping Della Maddalena in May in what was the latter fighter’s first fight since relinquishing his belt to Makhachev.

Carlos Prates (blue gloves) fights Leon Edwards (red gloves) in the welterweight bout during UFC 322 at Madison Square Garden. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As mentioned by Prates, a matchup between himself and Makhachev would be a perfect headliner for the year-ending UFC 335 show set for December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, but that will be entirely dependent on whether or not the champion is on board for that date.