UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev says a fight against Ian Machado Garry is not done, and he wants to fight Carlos Prates instead.
Recent reports linked Makhachev and Garry to a UFC 330 headliner title fight, but according to the champ, those reports were premature.
Speaking to Red Corner MMA, Makhachev said he hasn’t talked to the UFC about fighting Ian Machado Garry yet, and instead, he’s more interested in fighting Carlos Prates next.
“There’s been a lot of rumors about me fighting Ian Garry next, but I haven’t talked with any (UFC) officials about this fight. I can’t tell for sure who is the next contender… Kamaru Usman is also up there, Ian Garry, (Michael) Morales, Prates. I think Prates has got the hype now. He’s talked about much more now, so I think a fight with him would be the most interesting,” Makhachev said.
Carlos Prates is a UFC Superstar
Prates emerged as a true UFC superstar with his brutal third-round TKO win over Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth last weekend. Now 7-1 in the UFC with seven knockouts, there is no one more exciting to watch in the UFC welterweight division.
After beating Della Maddalena, Prates called for a title shot, though he noted he would likely have to wait for Machado Garry to fight Makhachev first. However, if we are to believe Makhachev, then that fight is not done, which could potentially allow Prates to jump the queue. Again, based on head-to-head wins, then Machado Garry deserves the next title fight. But if you asked most UFC fans, many would say they would rather see Prates fight Makhachev for the belt next, instead.
Plenty of Welterweight Contenders for Islam Makhachev
The UFC has a good problem right now by having several different welterweight contenders for Makhachev.
Prates is obviously the hottest fighter in the weight class right now, but Machado Garry has a recent win over him from April 2025, and he’s currently ranked No. 1 in the UFC welterweight division. By merit, it should be Machado Garry who is next in line for the belt, but Prates is the fight that Makhachev seems more interested in, so perhaps he will jump the line for the next shot.
Then there’s Morales, who is 7-0 in the UFC with five knockout wins. He, too, is right there in line for a title shot, though he has likely fallen past Prates and Machado Garry at this point. At just 26 years of age, there is no need for the UFC to rush Morales to a title fight so soon, and he is most likely going to have to fight someone else before he gets a title shot at 170 lbs.
There’s also Usman, the former longtime UFC welterweight champion who beat Joaquin Buckley last June. Usman hasn’t fought since then, and there are rumors he may be moving to middleweight, with a potential fight against former UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis floating around. But given his big name in the sport, you can’t discount Usman as a welterweight contender.
Don’t forget Shavkat Rakhmonov, either, as the undefeated star is still one of the division’s best fighters, though unfortunate injuries have derailed his career. There’s also Mike Malott and Uros Medic, who are on the rise, not to mention Sean Brady and former champion Leon Edwards.
With so many contenders waiting in the wings for Makhachev, it will be interesting to see who the UFC gives him next.
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