Carlos Prates grows confident in beating Islam Makhachev after spotting UFC 330 weakness
Carlos Prates revealed why Islam Makhachev’s UFC 330 performance boosted his confidence and explained how Ian Machado Garry showed him a potential path to victory.
Islam Makhachev defeats Ian Machado Garry via unanimous decision at UFC 330 to retain his welterweight title. This victory made history as Makhachev snapped Anderson Silva's 16-win streak and etched the longest winning streak in UFC at 17.
However, this performance also raised questions, as Makhachev didn't look as dominant as he used to in the lightweight division; he had to work hard against Garry. The size difference was evident, as it was hard for the Dagestani star to take down the challenger and get his hooks to control ‘The Future’. Many considered this to be the toughest test of the pound-for-pound king.
Makhachev's performance at UFC 330 has given his next expected opponent, Carlos Prates, confidence that he can get the job done in a potential fight. Now Prates has explained the reason behind his level-up in confidence.
Carlos Prates sees opening against Islam Makhachev after studying Ian Machado Garry fight
Speaking with Gilbert Burns about Makhachev’s performance, Prates revealed that watching Garry defend several positions actually boosted his confidence ahead of a potential showdown.
“Man, honestly, I think I got even more confident, man. Because of the stuff I’ve seen and the time we have to train, I said man I think it’s possible ,” Prates said.
The Brazilian particularly focused on Garry’s ability to defend against the fence, a position he believes could play directly into his own strengths. He also pointed to the physical challenge Makhachev faced when attempting to control the much taller Garry.
“Then I saw Ian defend some positions like I do, like the back against the fence, I said ‘damn, I do that a lot,” Prates explained to Burns. “Because he’s very tall, and it’s hard for Makhachev to get the hooks in, so I said damn man you can adapt that. So I said ‘I think this guys gonna get screwed man, I think I might get a hold of him.”
Check out Carlos Prates’ comments below:
Prates is taller than Makhachev, and he believes that the Dagestani star will face the same problem he faced against Garry. That said, the Brazilian grappling has only been tested by the Irish welterweight, against whom he lost by decision.
Not only Prates but Michael Morales, too, are in the title mix, and either one of them is likely to face Makhachev in the next UFC and could get the title shot.
Who is next for Islam Makhachev, Carlos Prates, or Michael Morales?
Prates or Morales has the best case for the next title shot. Morales remains undefeated in his career with 19 wins, and 7 of those came in the UFC. He finished his last three opponents in the first round.
On the other hand, Prates also has seven wins in the UFC and just one loss, which came at the hands of Garry in April 2025. Since then, he has secured three victories, and the last two were against former UFC welterweight champions Leon Edwards and Jack Della Maddalena. He has won every fight via knockout in UFC.
Prates has the edge over Morales for a title shot, as he finished two former champions back-to-back, while Morales wasn't tested that much. In his recent outing, he secured a victory over Sean Brady. The Dagestani star and his team feel the same and have inclined slightly to face the Brazilian next.
