Carlos Prates’ next fight sets up a fast track to UFC title talks
Carlos prates now has a clearly defined route toward a potential welterweight title opportunity, with a booked main event that directly ties his next result to the top of the division. As of Sunday at 9: 00 a. m. ET, the UFC had scheduled Carlos prates to face former welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena on May 2 at UFC Perth in Australia.
The immediate change is structural: Carlos prates is no longer waiting for a ranking-opening or an opponent to emerge. With the bout locked in and placed atop the card, the Brazilian’s next fight is positioned as a high-leverage step toward the championship picture he has said he is targeting.
Carlos Prates heads into UFC Perth with a No. 1-ranked opponent
With the UFC booking the matchup, Carlos prates is set to face the division’s leader in the rankings. Carlos prates is listed as the No. 5 fighter at 77 kilograms, while Jack Della Maddalena is listed as the leader, creating a direct meeting between a top-five contender and the top-ranked name.
That ranking alignment changes the stakes of the next bout. Instead of a gradual climb, the scheduled pairing places Carlos prates into a fight that directly intersects with the belt picture the event preview frames as his goal.
Jack Della Maddalena’s recent title loss raises the stakes for both men
For Jack Della Maddalena, the fight is presented as the next major marker after a recent championship setback. He lost the welterweight title in November 2025 after a defeat to Islam Makhachev, a result that ended an eight-fight winning streak that included five knockouts.
That context matters for what happens next because the main event is framed as more than a contender-vs-contender pairing. It places Carlos prates opposite a former champion coming off a title defeat, a scenario that can reshape the immediate pecking order near the top of the division based on a single result.
Carlos Prates’ knockout run is now tied to a single headline matchup
The UFC’s decision to slot the bout as the UFC Perth main event puts Carlos prates’ recent run under a brighter spotlight. He is coming off two straight knockout wins, beating Geoff Neal and Leon Edwards, and his victories in the UFC have come “by the fast route, ” with six of those triumphs ending quickly.
The same stretch has also brought bonuses: in each of those UFC wins, he was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus. In the most recently detailed result, Carlos prates defeated Leon Edwards by second-round knockout.
With the May 2 date now on the calendar, the practical consequence is that the next measurable step in Carlos prates’ pursuit of a title fight is no longer theoretical. It is attached to one opponent, one event, and one scheduled main event slot.
For now, the next formal milestone is the fight itself at UFC Perth on May 2. If Carlos prates wins that main event, the path described in the booking—moving closer to a bout for the welterweight belt—accelerates from ambition to immediate matchmaking pressure after the event ends.
