Carlos Prates, a rising contender in the welterweight division, has expressed his desire for a rematch against Ian Machado Garry. Prates is currently slated to face Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth in May. This comes after his impressive knockout victory over Leon Edwards, a former champion.
Prates believes that a second consecutive knockout win, this time against Della Maddalena, would solidify his claim for a welterweight title shot. He is also keenly anticipating a potential bout between Ian Machado Garry and the reigning UFC welterweight champion, Islam Makhachev, which is rumored for August. Prates stated that he would be supporting Garry to win and become the new champion.
In a recent interview, Prates revealed a personal “plan” discussed with Garry. According to Prates, the strategy involves him defeating Maddalena, Garry overcoming Makhachev for the title, and then the two fighters having a rematch for the belt, potentially in Brazil.
“I think that beating a former champion for the second time in a row and by knockout will lock in the title shot,” Prates commented. “Then there’s no one else for them to give the fight to but me.”
Prates also indicated his preference for a period of recovery after the Della Maddalena fight before commencing training for a potential title bout. He is eager for Garry to dethrone Makhachev in the interim.
“I would rather let Ian Garry fight for the belt and then we will see what happens and I fight later,” Prates explained. “I am rooting for [the belt] to change [hands] so Ian Garry and I can have our rematch for the belt. He [Garry] called me about three weeks ago and we have a plan: I beat Maddalena, he beats Makhachev, and then we do our rematch here in Brazil.”
