Overview
- This week Prates posted on Instagram telling rivals to “calm down” and saying his next fight will be for the 170‑pound title, a public push for the next slot in the division.
- The claim is not an official booking because the UFC has named Michael Morales as the backup for UFC 330, so promotion decisions and contingencies could override social‑media positioning.
- Uros Medic intensified the jockeying after knocking out Daniel Rodriguez at UFC Belgrade and publicly calling out top welterweights including Prates, prompting Prates’s direct response.
- Prates arrives with strong momentum and fan appeal, carrying a reported 7‑1 UFC record with all seven wins by stoppage and recent knockout wins over Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards.
- The immediate outcome of UFC 330 on Aug. 15 will largely shape matchmakers’ next move: a Garry win likely leads to a rematch path and a Makhachev defense would leave contenders like Prates and Morales vying for the next title shot.