Outside Source
Prates is scheduled to fight Maddalena in the main event at UFC Perth on May 2. “The Nightmare” is confident that he will knock out Maddalena in front of the latter’s home fans. Prates notes that he will have knocked out two former welterweight champions if he starches Maddalena at UFC Perth. The Brazilian believes a win over Maddalena will make the next welterweight title shot undeniable for him.
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Who Deserves It More?
“I will knock JDM out,” Prates said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “If we talk about media, I have a lot of media [presence] A lot of people like me, and I have a lot of fans. There’s talk about whether I deserve it or not. I think I deserve it. Of course, I will knock JDM out, and then I will have knocked out two former champions. So who deserves it more than me?”
While Prates (23-7) can already make a legitimate case for a title shot, the welterweight division is currently teeming with contenders like Michael Morales and Ian Garry. Prates has finished all six of his UFC wins so far, while only dropping a decision against Garry. “The Nightmare” has since rebounded with knockout wins over Geoff Neal and former champion Leon Edwards. Meanwhile, Maddalena (18-3) won the title against Belal Muhammad last year but lost it to Islam Makhachev in his first defense.
“I will knock JDM out… A lot of people like me, and I have a lot of fans. There’s talk about whether I deserve it or not, but I think I do. Of course, I will knock JDM out, and then I will have knocked out two former champions. So who deserves it more than me?”
Carlos Prates… pic.twitter.com/9jqi8q8Xhk
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) March 17, 2026
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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