Carlos Prates Claims Rumors Are Swirling About Islam Makhachev’s Next Opponent
Carlos Prates, the sixth-ranked UFC welterweight contender, discussed the rumours he has been hearing regarding Islam Makhachev’s next opponent when the latter defends his 170-pound championship for the first time.
The welterweight division remains packed with Ian Machado Garry, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Prates, Kamaru Usman, and Michael Morales wanting to get a crack at the title next. However, newly minted champion Makhachev has expressed his desire to fight former champion Usman.
And now, Prates has said that he has been hearing that Usman is next in line to challenge Makhachev. The P4P king and ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ have the same manager, Ali Abdelaziz, who also wants to see this fight and has vowed to give his all to make sure it happens. Prates told MMAFighting:
“I think Kamaru could cut the line from what I’m hearing. That is what Makhachev wants. They have the same management. It’s not an easy fight for Makhachev, but I don’t think Usman wins.”
Check out Carlos Prates’ comments below:
Islam Makhachev believes Kamaru Usman is his “hardest challenge”
Although the media does not think Kamaru Usman is a difficult challenge for Islam Makhachev, the Russian fighter thinks the exact contrary. Even though Usman is 38 years old and has only won one of his previous four fights, Makhachev considers him a formidable opponent for himself and the majority of the leading contenders. Islam Makhachev told Red Corner MMA:
“The media doesn’t believe in this fight, but in my opinion, Usman would steamroll through each of these up-and-comers like Morales, Prates… Those guys haven’t been checked yet. I think Usman would be the hardest fight for me.”
Check out Islam Makhachev’s comments below:
Usman’s earlier achievements and his status as one of the most dominant champions are taken into consideration by many in the MMA community. But given his present form and level of activity, he is undoubtedly not the fierce and deadly fighter he once was. Hence, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is not a logical choice to be the next welterweight title challenger.
