Watch out, Carlos Prates! The welterweight giant threatens to cross the smoker's path in the UFC.

Prates defeats Edwards in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Carlos Prates' UFC plans may be thwarted. After knocking out Leon Edwards and positioning himself as a top contender to face Islam Makhachev for the welterweight title (up to 77kg), the Fighting Nerds smoker changed course and began targeting Jack Della Maddalena , since Kamaru Usman is the favorite to face the Russian. However, it seems that Michael Morales had the same idea and could frustrate the Brazilian's plans.

In a conversation with reporter Danex Jacome, Michael Morales revealed that his team is working on the possibility of facing Jack Della Maddalena . The Ecuadorian prospect detailed that the duel could be scheduled for the UFC Casa Branca event , or sometime close to it, leaving the fighter in a state of complete readiness for any confirmation from the UFC.

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“My opponent could be Jack Della Maddalena ; maybe it really is him. We're hoping it's him. I was simply informed that a fight might happen, that it could be on June 14th or around that time, and that's it, it's just a matter of preparing for the fight and always being ready,” said Michael Morales.

Michael Morales prioritizes winning the UFC belt.

Morales celebrates victory in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Michael Morales also emphasized that his focus is on winning the category's belt and keeping it for a long time. The prospect also made it clear that, despite the pressure, he intends to approach the fight lightly. His goal is to do his job inside the octagon and, in the end, celebrate alongside his mother.

“God willing, we’ll get there. The important thing is to train and be in good shape for the fight. The important thing is to win the belt, and of course, the idea is also not to lose it. But what I want is the belt, period. The rest doesn’t matter, it’s no problem. To win, to win the fight. I don’t think about anything else. Simply go in there, do my job and then celebrate with my mother,” concluded the Ecuadorian.

Carlos Prates is a standout Brazilian in the UFC.

Prates defeats Edwards in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/UFC

After emerging in the 2023 Contender Series season, Carlos Prates had a successful 2024 in the UFC. The 'smoker' entered the octagon four times, achieved four knockouts, earned four performance bonuses, and secured his place in the organization's top 15.

The following year, however, began turbulently. In his first fight of 2025, Prates faced Ian Garry in the main event of UFC Kansas. Despite coming close to a knockout in the fifth round, he ended up losing by unanimous decision.

The recovery came quickly. Scheduled to face Geoff Neal at UFC 319, the Brazilian delivered a dominant performance and knocked out the American in the first round. Following that, he received the opportunity to face former champion Leon Edwards and shone again: winning by knockout in the second round and jumping to sixth place in the welterweight rankings.

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