Carlos Prates Tells Michael Morales He Wants to Fight for the Title First

The race for the UFC welterweight throne took a lighthearted turn outside the arena after UFC 330. Rising Brazilian star Carlos Prates bumped into fellow contender Michael Morales, and a friend captured their casual encounter in a trending social media clip. Fresh off watching Islam Makhachev retain his title over Ian Garry, Prates was in a great mood and playfully laid out his grand plan for the 170-pound division.

Laughing and joking around, Prates confidently told Morales that he intends to fight Makhachev for the championship belt first. He then suggested they fight each other a few months later. The best part of the exchange came when Prates pointed out that this timeline would actually be a huge favor for Morales. Morales had just gone through a brutal weight cut to serve as the official backup fighter for the event, dropping massive weight from around 230 pounds down to the 170-pound limit. Prates jokingly told him that a ten-month break would give his body plenty of time to rest up and safely cut the weight again next time.

While Morales smiled and seemed to completely agree with the friendly timeline, nothing is official yet. UFC CEO Dana White explicitly told reporters to pump the brakes on matchmaking right after the event. Champion Islam Makhachev has also not confirmed anything yet, merely noting in interviews that Prates has been the more active fighter lately.