Makhachev rules out Ian Garry and signals a desire to face Carlos Prates in the UFC.

Carlos Prates e Islam makhachev They are standouts in the UFC welterweight division. Photo montage SUPER LUTAS

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Carlos Prates He may be close to getting his long-awaited chance to compete for the Ultimate belt. The 'Smoker' from Fighting Nerds shone in the main event of... UFC Perth when dominating Jack Della Maddalena with one forceful performancewhich thrilled the audience and also caught the attention of the champion. Islam makhachevGiven the performance, the Russian signaled interest in closely following the Brazilian's rise in the rankings and did not rule out a possible future confrontation.

In a video released by the 'Redcorner MMA' channel, Makhachev explained that, despite the rumors involving a possible duel against Ian GaryHe has not yet had official talks with the UFC about his next opponent.

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"There were many rumors about me fighting against..." Ian Gary Next, but I haven't spoken to anyone (from the UFC) about that fight. I can't say for sure who the next challenger is… Kamaru Usman It's up there too. Ian Gary, Morales, Prates and maybe Shavkat.”, Said Makhachev.

With no opponent confirmed, Makhachev, however, stressed that Carlos Prates He is currently experiencing his best moment in terms of visibility, suggesting that a potential fight against him would be the most interesting option in the current scenario.

"I think Prates is riding the hype right now. He's been talked about a lot more recently, so I think a fight with him would be the most interesting," concluded the champion.

Islam makhachev reacts to Carlos Prates' win, and says his next opponent is still not confirmed 👀

“There's been a lot of rumors about me fighting Ian Gary next, but I haven't talked with any [UFC] officials about this fight.

I can't tell for sure who is the next contender…… pic.twitter.com/9GQzw7sIQ2

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) May 5, 2026

Watch Carlos Prates knock out Jack Della Maddalena.

🔥 Carlos Prates'of Jack Della Maddalena'yı bitirdiği anlar!pic.twitter.com/me8l3YCSzl

— Cage Pulse (@Cage_PulseMMA) May 2, 2026

With the victory, Prates reached his 24th career win, maintaining a 100% 'lethality' record in the UFC, with seven knockouts in seven victories. Jack Della Maddalena He suffered his second defeat in the organization and his fourth as a professional.