Carlos Prates Earns Makhachev’s Backing

Carlos Prates has received a major public endorsement in the welterweight title picture. Following UFC 330, Islam Makhachev named Prates as the contender he believes has done the most to deserve the next opportunity to challenge for the belt. The message appeared in a UFC on Paramount+ video after Makhachev retained his welterweight title in Philadelphia, giving Prates a direct piece of support from the champion himself. The endorsement does not confirm a fight agreement, but it puts Carlos Prates at the center of the division’s immediate debate. In a crowded conversation involving several possible challengers, Makhachev did not offer a vague promise to face anyone. He identified Prates by name and explained why he viewed him as the most deserving available option.

Makhachev’s reasoning focused on activity as much as ability. He said Shavkat was not fighting, described Prates as still fighting and still active, and also acknowledged that Morales was good. However, Makhachev said he could not remember when Morales had last fought before concluding that Carlos Prates was the most deserved fighter. That distinction is important because it gives Prates a specific case rather than a broad claim of being in the mix. The champion’s comments did not settle the UFC’s matchmaking process, nor did they announce a date, venue or signed title bout. They did, however, make the case for Carlos Prates more concrete: Makhachev publicly connected his assessment of the challenger queue to Prates’ continued activity and said he had done enough to pursue the title next.

Why Carlos Prates’ case gained weight

Carlos Prates’ new position rests on more than a general compliment. Makhachev was asked to assess the leading names around the welterweight title picture and gave an answer that compared the available situations. His complete response made clear that he viewed Prates’ activity as a meaningful separator when weighing who deserved the opportunity. “Honestly, if you ask me today, Shavkat is not fighting. Prates is still fighting, still active, and maybe Prates, because Morales also is good, but Morales fight, I don’t know, last time, I don’t remember when he fight, you know. If you ask, like, who’s the most deserved guy, I think Carlos Prates,” Makhachev said. For Carlos Prates, the value of that statement is its clarity. The champion did not merely place him among a group of potential opponents. He called Prates the most deserving guy in the discussion as he saw it. That gives Prates a champion-backed argument at a time when the division has been debating who should move closest to the belt.

The source also makes clear that the endorsement should not be confused with an official booking. Other welterweights remain part of the picture, and Morales had already been discussed by Makhachev as a striking threat. There is still, in the source’s words, promotional math to solve before a title fight can be treated as a confirmed next step. Still, the public nature of Makhachev’s comments changes the conversation around Carlos Prates. A title challenger’s position is often argued through recent momentum, availability and the willingness of the champion to address a matchup. Here, Makhachev supplied a direct view on two of those points: he highlighted Prates’ activity and said Prates was the most deserving contender. It does not decide the promotion’s choice, but it gives the discussion a clear reference point rather than leaving Prates’ candidacy to speculation.

What the endorsement does and does not confirm

What is confirmed is that Islam Makhachev publicly backed Carlos Prates for the next welterweight title shot after UFC 330. What is not confirmed is a bout agreement. No opponent announcement beyond Makhachev’s endorsement, event date or fight location was provided in the material. That boundary matters for reading the development accurately. Carlos Prates has gained meaningful support from the fighter holding the title, and the endorsement was grounded in a stated rationale: Prates is still active and, in Makhachev’s opinion, has done enough. But the remaining challenger picture means the backing is a stronger argument for Prates, not a final matchmaking decision. The development also gives the welterweight discussion a simple focal point. Rather than treating every contender’s claim as identical, Makhachev singled out Carlos Prates while acknowledging other names. That makes Prates’ status the central issue in the next-stage title conversation.

• Makhachev’s stated reason for favoring Carlos Prates was that Prates was still fighting and still active.
• Makhachev called Carlos Prates the most deserving contender, while the source noted that no title bout had been signed.

Carlos Prates did not receive a confirmed fight announcement in the material, but he received one of the clearest signals a contender can get: the champion’s public approval. Makhachev’s comments put Prates’ activity at the heart of the argument and identify him as the contender he believes has earned the chance. Until the UFC makes a formal matchmaking decision, Carlos Prates’ path remains unresolved, but his case is now backed by the man holding the belt.

Sources: MiddleEasy