Carlos Prates, a prominent figure from Team Fighting Nerds, has humorously hinted at a potential weight class change to 155 pounds.
Prates, currently ranked as the No. 5 contender in the welterweight division, is slated to face former champion Jack Della Maddalena in the main event of UFC Perth this coming weekend.
“The Nightmare” has expressed his intention to secure another knockout victory against a former champion and then set his sights on the welterweight champion, Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev is anticipated to defend his title for the first time in August against Ian Machado Garry. Prates hopes that “The Future” will dethrone the Russian champion, after which Prates envisions a rematch with the Irishman in Brazil.
Carlos Prates Teases a Lightweight Move if Ilia Topuria Gets a Shot at Islam Makhachev
In a hypothetical scenario, if lightweight champion Ilia Topuria were to move up to welterweight (170 pounds) for a superfight with Islam Makhachev following his fight against Justin Gaethje on June 14th, and Prates himself is bypassed for a 170-pound title opportunity, he indicated he might consider dropping to 155 pounds to contend for the UFC lightweight championship.
During a recent conversation with MMA Fighting, Carlos Prates commented:
“Then I’ll move down to lightweight and fight for the lightweight belt. I can make 155. But I’m kidding. I don’t want to diet that much anymore. We’ll see. I’m not really thinking about that right now, but let’s see if it happens.”
Prates is currently on a two-fight winning streak, having knocked out both of his last two opponents. “The Nightmare” has suffered only one loss in his UFC career to date, which was against Ian Machado Garry in 2025.
English Translation:
Carlos Prates, a prominent figure from Team Fighting Nerds, has humorously hinted at a potential weight class change to 155 pounds.
Prates, currently ranked as the No. 5 contender in the welterweight division, is slated to face former champion Jack Della Maddalena in the main event of UFC Perth this coming weekend.
“The Nightmare” has expressed his intention to secure another knockout victory against a former champion and then set his sights on the welterweight champion, Islam Makhachev.
Makhachev is anticipated to defend his title for the first time in August against Ian Machado Garry. Prates hopes that “The Future” will dethrone the Russian champion, after which Prates envisions a rematch with the Irishman in Brazil.
Carlos Prates Teases a Lightweight Move if Ilia Topuria Gets a Shot at Islam Makhachev
In a hypothetical scenario, if lightweight champion Ilia Topuria were to move up to welterweight (170 pounds) for a superfight with Islam Makhachev following his fight against Justin Gaethje on June 14th, and Prates himself is bypassed for a 170-pound title opportunity, he indicated he might consider dropping to 155 pounds to contend for the UFC lightweight championship.
During a recent conversation with MMA Fighting, Carlos Prates commented:
“Then I’ll move down to lightweight and fight for the lightweight belt. I can make 155. But I’m kidding. I don’t want to diet that much anymore. We’ll see. I’m not really thinking about that right now, but let’s see if it happens.”
Prates is currently on a two-fight winning streak, having knocked out both of his last two opponents. “The Nightmare” has suffered only one loss in his UFC career to date, which was against Ian Machado Garry in 2025.