Islam Makhachev open to fighting Carlos Prates after UFC 330: "Nutella cake is gonna be good opponent"
Ahead of his welterweight title defense at UFC 330, Islam Makhachev took part in an interview in which he expressed an interest in fighting one of the division's most dangerous fighters.
Islam Makhachev is currently gearing up for his first-ever welterweight title defense at UFC 330. That, however, does not mean he isn't studying the rest of the division. While he still has to overcome Ian Machado Garry on Aug. 15, he more than welcomes a title defense against Carlos Prates, who has thrown his name into the hat of title contention.
Islam Makhachev vs. Carlos Prates could happen
In an interview with the MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, Islam Makhachev answered several questions about his next welterweight title defense, provided he successfully beats Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330. Among the potential opponents discussed were Carlos Prates and Michael Morales, the latter of whom will serve as the backup fighter for the title bout. While Makhachev was less keen on facing Morales, who he feels needs to fight more, he showed more interest in Prates, who he poked fun at for eating Nutella pancakes in camp (23:36):
"Yeah, why not? Nutella cake is gonna be good opponent, you know? He's an exciting fighter, and it's gonna be a good fight."
Prates is currently on a three-fight win streak, having knocked out Geoff Neal in round one at UFC 319, knocked out Leon Edwards in round two at UFC 322, and TKO'd Jack Della Maddalena in round three at UFC Fight Night 275. Having beaten two former welterweight champions back-to-back, Prates has put himself in prime position for a title shot. His last loss was a unanimous decision against Garry at UFC on ESPN 66. Morales, by contrast, is undefeated at 19-0, and most recently TKO'd Sean Brady in round one at UFC 322. A title eliminator between Morales and Prates could take place to crown a true number one contender, which is a bout that Makhachev himself has called for.
The welterweight division has no shortage of possible contenders, and Makhachev will have ample opportunity to continue building his legacy as an all-time great. At UFC 330, he'll be fighting to do more than just defend his welterweight title for the first time. He'll also aim to finally surpass Anderson Silva's legendary 16-fight win streak in the UFC.
