Carlos Prates is building a name in the UFC with two bold traits—his love for cigarettes and his hunger to win fights. The 170-pound star now competes in the UFC Welterweight division, where Belal Muhammad currently holds the championship.
Ranked 13th in the division, Prates should be praising the division’s champion, but he recently made headlines by saying that Islam Makhachev would be a tougher opponent than the Palestinian fighter.
Why Carlos Prates Believes Islam Makhachev Is a More Difficult Opponent
In a recent interview with Real MMA Today, rising welterweight star Carlos Prates shared his thoughts on fighting Islam Makhachev and Belal Muhammad.
Prates made it clear that he’s ready to face either fighter, but he believes Makhachev would be the tougher challenge. He pointed out Makhachev’s elite striking and grappling skills, which make him a more dangerous opponent.
While Prates acknowledged Belal Muhammad’s strength in the welterweight division, he emphasized that Makhachev’s all-around game would make him harder to beat.
“Islam is better than Belal, but I’ll beat whoever the champ is. I don’t care”
– Carlos Prates on potential future fights
(via MMA Today) pic.twitter.com/8etnN4TDA7
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) April 20, 2025
The 31-year-old said, “It’s gonna be a hard fight, because I think Islam is much better than Belal Muhammad, you know. Better saying, I don’t know if he’s better fighter. But he’s much more harder win the fight against Makhachev than Belal Muhammad, you know. Because he’s good on the striking, good on the ground.”
Prates’ comments reflect the respect many fighters have for Makhachev’s dominant Dagestani wrestling. However, Prates is not someone who should be sidelined that easily, as he is currently riding an 11-fight win streak with 10 consecutive knockouts. So, he is confident that he can defeat either of them.
Carlos Prates Puts Both Islam Makhachev & Belal Muhammad on Alert
Carlos Prates is gearing up for a big fight against Ian Machado Garry on April 26, 2025, in a welterweight showdown that could determine who gets the next title shot. Aside from his focus, Prates has already made one thing clear: he will fight for the championship no matter who holds the title when his turn comes.
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In a recent interview, the Brazilian fighter confidently said, “When I going to fight for the belt, I don’t care who is a champ, who is gonna be a champ. I just going to step on the cage, I’m gonna beat him up, and gonna become a UFC welterweight champ.”
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