Islam Makhachev apparently wants to see more from Carlos Prates.
Many expected Makhachev to defend his UFC welterweight title at UFC 336 in January, but followers were instead given an interim title battle between Prates and undefeated contender Michael Morales. Makhachev confirmed he was indeed supplied the alternative to make his third title protection against Parates, but he did not think the Brazilian was worthy of preventing him, at least not yet.
Advertisement
“Yes, Prates and Morales will fight to determine who is a true worthy contender, and I’ll fight the winner,” Makhachev instructed pound4padel.ru in Russian. “They supplied me a battle with Prates, who not too long ago lost to (Ian Machado Garry), someone I beat. If I beat him, Morales would already be next in line, who’s not preventing and ready for (a title shot). Just let them battle, and we will determine out who’s the actual challenger.”
This might be unhealthy information for Makhachev followers, as he might not be seen in motion for a while. Many expected Makhachev to battle before the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which runs from Feb. 7 to March 8. However, with the interim title battle booked, Makhachev might not battle until the summer time of 2027.
Since dropping to Ian Machado Garry, Prates has picked up three consecutive knockouts, stopping former champions Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards, and veteran Geoff Neal. On the other hand, Morales is undefeated in his MMA profession. He’s also stopped his last three opponents, placing away Sean Brady, Gilber Burns and Neil Magny.
This article initially appeared on MMA Junkie: Islam Makhachev explains why he turned down UFC title protection vs. Carlos Prates
Source hyperlink
