A UFC contender had one goal in mind heading into his last fight after speaking to the boss.
Islam Makhachev was contacted by the UFC about fighting in January before the opportunity to make a quick turnaround was denied.
It has been stated by the welterweight champion’s manager that two names were mentioned in regards to the possibility of him competing early in 2026.
One of them was the name that Makhachev has been pushing for, Kamaru Usman, who returned to the win column earlier this year.
A different name who is also in the mix at 170 pounds claims that he would’ve been next for the new champion if he’d achieved one goal last month.
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Does Kamaru Usman deserve to fight Islam Makhachev after everything he’s accomplished?
How do you feel about the former champ potentially getting a title shot? Let us know in the comments.
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Carlos Prates says Dana White told him he’d get the next title shot if he stopped Leon Edwards in one round
Islam Makhachev has been warned about Kamaru Usman despite many arguing that there are other more deserving challengers for his title.
Several of the division’s top names all produced wins around the same time that he defeated Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322 in New York.
Despite recording his biggest victory to date on the very same night, Carlos Prates believes Usman will get the first shot at the new champion.
He recently stated that things could have been different based on a conversation that he had with Dana White the day before his knockout win over Leon Edwards.
Prates stopped the former champion in the second round, telling Vechtersbazen that the UFC president had told him he’d get the next shot if he stopped the former champion in the first.
‘The Nightmare’ added that this moment ended up causing him some concern after he saw footage of it making the rounds on social media.
“I was not planning to film it but I was with Meta glasses, they sponsored me for that fight, and they posted [it]. Everybody started to share it on Instagram and I was like, ‘Oh my god’. I was worried about him [White] getting mad or not because I forgot they asked me to go to the weigh-ins with the glasses and I just shook his hand.”
Carlos Prates says the UFC turned down the opportunity for him to compete before the end of 2025
Arman Tsarukyan has recently been competing in grappling matches to keep himself busy after not getting the opportunity to fight for the UFC interim lightweight title.
Some of these contests have seen him clash with fellow UFC fighters who aren’t in his weight class.
During his appearance on Vechtersbazen, Carlos Prates revealed that he was approached about grappling Tsarukyan on December 30.
“I accepted but the UFC said no,” he said. “They didn’t like me fighting but I was really excited at that moment.”
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