Overview
- Prates scored a third-round knockout of former champion Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth earlier this month, a finish that vaulted him into the top of the welterweight picture.
- This week Prates told Daniel Cormier he thinks Islam Makhachev may view him as a “less hard” matchup because opponents have recorded takedowns against him, but he stressed that every opponent who took him down has scrambled back to his feet.
- UFC stats cited in coverage put Prates’ takedown defense at about 77 percent, a figure Prates and outlets use to counter the narrative that he would be easily controlled on the mat by Makhachev.
- Media reports and commentators continue to favor Ian Machado Garry as the frontrunner for Makhachev’s next defense, including an expected August return at UFC 330 in Philadelphia, but no official booking has been confirmed.
- Prates says he will wait for a title shot or serve as a backup if asked, a stance that keeps him ready while the promotion balances stylistic questions, contender order, and the broader depth of the welterweight division.