Carlos Prates has been must-see TV throughout his UFC welterweight run. So much so that he caught the attention of the sport’s all-time biggest star, Conor McGregor.
Rumblings of a showdown with “The Notorious” McGregor were recently on the tips of fans’ tongues across the MMA sphere. Uncrowned’s Ariel Helwani even reported the UFC kicked the idea around with McGregor, but ultimately landed on Prates’ looming title eliminator against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth on May 2. The rumors put the 170-pound contender at the center of two very different paths — one built on spectacle; the other on substance.
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Speaking on Tuesday’s edition of “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Prates made it clear which direction he prefers.
“A lot of people were talking about me and Conor McGregor, and I was without any opponent yet. No signed contract,” Prates told Uncrowned. “Since my last fight, everybody knows I would love to fight ‘JDM.’ I respect him. He’s [the] No. 1 contender, so I thought that fight made a lot of sense for me.
“A lot of people were saying I would fight Conor. UFC came to me and asked if I would like to fight the main event against ‘JDM,’ and I said yes, for sure.”
At the height of the recent speculation, a McGregor fight seemed like a possibility for Prates — at least publicly. But according to the Brazilian, the matchup never advanced beyond talks. And while he didn’t dismiss the idea outright, his priorities remain firmly rooted in championship contention inside the Octagon.
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“Of course, I would love to fight him. He’s a huge superstar. One of the biggest in UFC history,” Prates said. “But I want to be champ. I want to get the belt. I want to fight for the title. So, I think ‘JDM’ makes more sense right now.
“I heard [McGregor] said yes, but five years without a fight, without competing, I don’t think it’s too smart of him to accept a fight against me. I don’t think so, but it’s in the past. Now, I’m focused on ‘JDM,’ and I can’t wait to go to Australia and get my title shot.”
That opportunity could arrive sooner than later.
Prates will meet Della Maddalena on enemy territory in Australia, with major implications for the welterweight title picture. A win would add another elite name to a résumé that already includes victories over contenders like Geoff Neal and former champion Leon Edwards, continuing a surge that has quickly elevated Prates into the division’s upper tier.
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And if Prates has his way, the result will continue a trend of being the first person to knock out his opponents in their respective careers.
“I think after I beat ‘JDM,’ I will be next for the title,” Prates said. “Of course, I have a loss to Ian [Machado Garry]. But after that, I did a spectacular performance against Geoff Neal, amazing performance against the former champ, Leon Edwards. I will knock out ‘JDM,’ so I don’t know. If you talk about media, I have a lot of media, a lot of people like me, I have a lot of fans.
“If I deserve it or not, I think I deserve it if I knock ‘JDM’ out — of course, I will knock him out. I will knock out two former champions. So who deserves more than me?”
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Even with lingering interest in a potential rematch against Machado Garry — ideally on home soil in Brazil — Prates isn’t looking past what’s directly in front of him.
Because for all the attention a McGregor fight would bring, Prates is on a clearer path to what he ultimately wants: UFC gold.
