UFC legend reveals how Carlos Prates can defeat Islam Makhachev.

Carlos Prates and Islam Makhachev are standouts in the UFC welterweight division. Photo montage by SUPER LUTAS.

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Stephen Thompson believes Carlos Prates has what it takes to end Islam Makhachev 's reign in the UFC octagon. After dominating Jack Della Maddalena and winning his second belt in the organization, the Dagestani champion has returned to the center of discussions among fans and experts about who could stop him. In the 'Wonderboy's' view, the Fighting Nerds smoker emerges as one of the most promising answers to this challenge.

In an interview with the Full Mount channel, Thompson analyzed Makhachev's style and highlighted how the Russian transforms his fights into true tests of endurance, focusing on physically and mentally wearing down his opponents, just as Khabib Nurmagomedov did.

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“Islam is the kind of guy who makes a fight very, very, very exhausting for the opponent, right? Guys like Islam, guys like Khabib, they try to break your spirit,” said Stephen Thompson.

“For a coach, their physical conditioning has to be there. They have to be mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared for the most grueling fight of all time and have the conditioning for it. Kind of like what Strickland did against Khamzat,” the karateka continued.

Stephen Thompson believes that Carlos Prates can defeat Islam Makhachev.

Prates knocked out Della Maddalena at UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

Furthermore, he pointed out that mobility and the difficulty of being controlled are decisive factors, since any carelessness can result in takedowns. Finally, he praised Prates' close-range weapons, especially knees and elbows, as effective resources to punish the champion's entries and hinder his grappling game.

“You have to be very difficult to hit, very difficult to fix in one place. If you stay still long enough, they'll get to your legs. And that will be their last line of defense, the knees and elbows, that close-range striking to make them pay for trying to get inside. I think Carlos Prates is very good at that with his elbows and knees,” Wonderboy concluded.

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