UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev will take down Carlos Prates and submit him, says MMA star Colby Covington.
Makhachev vs. Prates has been rumored as the next UFC welterweight title fight, though the promotion has not made it official yet.
If this fight does happen as expected, then Covington thinks it will be an easy night at the office for the champ.
Colby Covington Says Islam Makhachev Beats Carlos Prates
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, Covington shared his prediction for Makhachev vs. Prates, saying that he thinks it will be Makhachev’s easiest fight during his career and that he will submit Prates rather easily.
“Carlos has nothing for him. He’s just a straight striker. That’s gonna be the easiest fight of Makhachev’s career. I think he takes him down and submits him with like a Kimura or a head-and-arm choke,” Covington said.
As for Michael Morales, another top contender, Covington said he isn’t sure about that particular matchup as we haven’t really seen Morales’s takedown defense tested yet.
“We gotta see how his takedown defense is. We haven’t seen him in any big fights, high-level five-round fights, so we don’t know what to expect from him,” Covington said.
“Carlos has nothing for him. He’s just a straight striker. That’s gonna be the easiest fight of Makhachev’s career.
I think he takes him down and
When Will This Fight Happen?
The rest of the UFC’s 2026 calendar has mostly been filled, and with all of the promotion’s numbered events having main events already, it’s very unlikely that a Makhachev vs. Prates fight will happen this year.
Therefore, it’s more likely to happen early next year, and with Ramadan taking place in February, the goal would be for a Makhachev vs. Prates fight to take place in January, as that would be the best timeline for the champion, while also getting Prates back into the cage as soon as possible, as he hasn’t competed since a May TKO win over Jack Della Maddalena.
If the UFC can’t book Makhachev for January, then this fight with Prates may have to wait until after Ramadan is over in March, as Makhachev wouldn’t want to do a training camp during that period of time, making January the ideal target date for this matchup.
Carlos Prates Gets Submitted by Islam Makhachev, Says MMA Star