Carlos Prates ' dominant victory over Jack Della Maddalena may have opened up a great opportunity for the Brazilian, but his team remains cautious in projecting his next steps. At UFC Perth , 'The Smoker' defeated the Australian by knockout in the third round, a result that caught the attention of champion Islam Makhachev.
Following the outcome at UFC Perth , the Russian expressed interest in a potential fight against Prates for the welterweight title (up to 77 kg). Despite the promising scenario, the Brazilian's main coach is adopting a cautious stance and indicates the need for a recovery period before making the fight viable.
In an exclusive statement to SUPER LUTAS , coach Cristian Nogueira explained that the fight could happen, provided there are adjustments to the schedule. According to him, the ranking position is positive and Makhachev's interest is viewed favorably. Even so, the fight wouldn't be feasible in August, the date that has been suggested as a possible return date for the champion.
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“We’re in second place, awesome. Makhachev wants to test himself against a striker, but Carlos has a good team, we have a good strategy. But, in August, it’s not possible to fight… If he wants to fight us, we’ll fight. November and December are good dates for us,” said Cris Nogueira.
Carlos Prates and his coach Cristian Nogueira. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram/cristiannogueira.vtt
The coach also revealed that Carlos Prates will need a recovery period before returning to training. After the fight, the Brazilian suffered a foot injury due to the kicks, in addition to having already dealt with shoulder pain during training camp.
"Carlos will just need rest, about 40 days. He hurt his foot kicking, he didn't break anything, but he hurt it. Then, along with the 9-week camp kicking a lot in sparring, he had also injured his shoulder and was pretty messed up, he only got better the week of the fight. So, imagine, there are many things for him to improve, rest, and then return to physiotherapy and training," concluded the coach.
Watch Carlos Prates knock out Jack Della Maddalena.
🔥 Carlos Prates 'in Jack Della Maddalena 'yı bitirdiği anlar! pic.twitter.com/me8l3YCSzl
— Cage Pulse (@Cage_PulseMMA) May 2, 2026
With the victory, Prates reached his 24th career win, maintaining a 100% 'lethality' record in the UFC, with seven knockouts in seven victories. Jack Della Maddalena , on the other hand , suffered his second defeat in the organization and his fourth as a professional.
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