Islam Makhachev responds to Carlos Prates’ dominant win over Jack Della Maddalena

Islam Makhachev watched on as Carlos Prates utterly dominated the former champion.

On Saturday, the UFC made its return to Australia with a card in Perth, headlined by Jack Della Maddalena and Carlos Prates.

Della Maddalena was looking to bounce back from his title defeat to Islam Makhachev, while Prates came in riding a wave of momentum after two emphatic knockout victories.

The Brazilian delivered a nearly perfect performance, controlling the fight throughout before finishing Della Maddalena in the third round.

Islam Makhachev’s Response to Carlos Prates’ Performance

Recently, there’s been a lot of talk about who Makhachev will face in his first welterweight title defence.

At first, it looked like Michael Morales was the frontrunner. But those plans shifted once reports surfaced that Makhachev was in talks to face Ian Machado Garry instead.

With Prates moving into the top spot after beating Della Maddalena, the 34-year-old champion made sure to pay close attention to what unfolded in Perth.

Makhachev took notice of Prates’ win and praised him on social media with a playful nod to their past encounter during UFC 322.

The comment referred back to when Prates was spotted eating Nutella cake during his weight cut for UFC 322, something that caught the disciplined Russian off guard at the time.

What Could Be Next for Carlos Prates?

The expectation is building for a bout between Makhachev and Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia. If that happens, Prates has already put his name forward to take on the winner, which could lead to another meeting with Garry down the line.

The two had even joked about a future rematch before Prates stepped into the octagon this weekend, hinting at unfinished business between them.

If Makhachev retains his belt, there might still be another hurdle for ‘The Nightmare’ before he gets his shot. Ilia Topuria remains linked to a potential fight with Makhachev—a matchup that nearly happened at UFC White House—and could step into contention if he wins on June 14th.

In that case, fans have already started suggesting Morales as a possible next opponent for Prates while he waits for another title opportunity.

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