Prates fights for the interim UFC belt and taunts Makhachev
Carlos Prates will fight Michael Morales for the interim welterweight belt on 30 January 2027 in Toronto and taunted Islam Makhachev on social media. The 33-year-old Brazilian has 24 wins and seven defeats; Morales, 27, is unbeaten in 19 fights.
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Carlos Prates é o escolhido para a disputa do cinturão interino dos meio-médios (até 77,1kg), marcada para Toronto, no Canadá, em 30 de janeiro de 2027. O anúncio saiu neste sábado (24). Como o campeão linear, o russo Islam Makhachev, não tem condições de lutar em janeiro, a organização armou o duelo do Pesadelo contra o equatoriano Michael Morales como luta principal do UFC 336, primeiro card numerado do próximo ano.
Nas redes sociais, Prates comemorou provocando Makhachev, cujo motivo da ausência o UFC não divulgou. "Dia 30 de janeiro, vou pegar o cinturão, e depois aposentar o russo fujão!", escreveu ele nos stories do Instagram.
Paulista de 33 anos, o brasileiro é o primeiro colocado no ranking da categoria. Ídolo pela plasticidade dos nocautes e pela irreverência fora do cage, soma 24 vitórias e sete derrotas no MMA; no UFC, são sete triunfos, todos por nocaute, e um único revés, por decisão dos juízes. Venceu os três últimos compromissos na organização.
Do outro lado, Michael Morales, 27, é o terceiro do ranking e segue invicto em 19 lutas profissionais. No UFC tem sete vitórias, cinco por nocaute e duas por decisão. Não lutou em 2026: sua última apresentação foi o nocaute sobre Sean Brady em novembro de 2025.
O coevento principal também foi anunciado: o campeão dos moscas (até 56,7kg) Joshua Van, de Mianmar, encara o angolano Manel Kape, líder da categoria. O card tem, até aqui, Prates x Morales pelo cinturão interino e Van x Kape pelo cinturão.
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