Carlos Prates acknowledges that he may not be the favorite to win the next challenger spot for Islam Makhachev 's welterweight (up to 77 kg) belt . The Fighting Nerds Smoker knocked out Leon Edwards at UFC 322, held last Saturday (15), and established himself as one of the main names in the race for the title, won by the Russian on the same night. Despite the great moment, the athlete knows that the internal competition is tough.
In an interview with the 'Laerte Viana MMA' channel, Carlos Prates assessed that the selection of the next challenger should be between him and Kamaru Usman . The Brazilian stated that he doesn't usually create expectations and believes that the former champion may end up being chosen, which would require him to have another fight before a title shot.
See too
"I think it's going to be me or Kamaru Usman ... I'm a guy who doesn't create expectations, so I'm thinking it's going to be Kamaru and I'll have to do another one, but the chance of it being me is high...", said Carlos Prates.
Carlos Prates also highlighted that, given Islam Makhachev 's style , Usman represents the most complicated challenge among the contenders and would be, in his view, the toughest opponent for the new welterweight champion, even more difficult than himself or Morales.
"I think that, for his game, the toughest opponent there is Kamaru. He would be the favorite, but it's a more difficult fight than me or Morales," concluded Fumante from Fighting Nerds.
Johnny Walker opens up about his heavyweight debut at UFC 332.
You need to log in to comment.