Carlos Prates Says the UFC Promised Him Next Shot at Islam Makhachev

Carlos Prates isn't waiting for the UFC to make an announcement — he says the deal is already done. Fresh off watching Islam Makhachev defend his welterweight belt at UFC 330 with a decision over Ian Machado Garry, Prates told Ariel Helwani he's signed a new contract and been guaranteed the next crack at the champ. That's a bold claim to plant a flag on before any promotion confirmation.

The stakes are enormous. Makhachev's win over Garry made him the first fighter in UFC history to reel off 17 straight victories inside the promotion, and he sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings. After the fight, the champion floated the idea of Prates and Michael Morales fighting each other to sort out a challenger. Prates says that's off the table — he's next, and he's already told the UFC as much.

The Morales Problem

If Prates is right, it's a rough break for Morales, who did everything you're supposed to do. He showed up at UFC 330, weighed in as the backup for the main event, and by tradition that usually puts a fighter first in line. Prates says the two spoke at the event, that Morales asked directly whether they'd fight, and that Prates told him no — because the title shot belongs to him.

Prates suggested Morales will need one more bout before getting his own opportunity, floating Belal Muhammad as a possible opponent. Muhammad, ranked No. 7 at welterweight with a 24-6 record, is coming off a decision loss to Gabriel Bonfim — hardly the momentum you'd want heading into a fight against a top prospect, but a live name for the division to sort itself out.

Underdog by Choice

To his credit, Prates isn't pretending this is a coin flip. He openly called himself the underdog against the sport's best fighter, but framed the appeal differently — he wants to test himself against Makhachev firsthand, title and money aside. His pitch is simple: he thinks he can win, and he wants to shock everyone doing it.

For now, none of this is official. The UFC hasn't confirmed a challenger or a date, though Makhachev indicated he'd like to be active again before Ramadan kicks off in February. Prates said he'd be fine fighting the champion before the end of the year. Whether the promotion honors the handshake Prates is describing — or pivots back to a Prates-Morales eliminator — is the only real question left.