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Former interim UFC welterweight champion Colby Covington doesn’t believe Carlos Prates can defeat Islam Makhachev.
While there’s been no official announcement as of yet, the expectation is that Islam Makhachev will next defend his UFC welterweight championship against Carlos Prates. Carlos has put together a great body of work in order to earn a crack at the belt, and Makhachev is eager to continue improving his legacy as one of the most successful UFC fighters of all time.
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Carlos Prates is well known for being a remarkable striker, but the big challenge when facing someone like Makhachev is obviously going to be how he copes with the overwhelming pressure stemming from his wrestling prowess.
In a recent interview, Colby Covington weighed in, making it clear that he isn’t feeling confident about Carlos Prates’ chances.
Covington on Islam Makhachev vs Carlos Prates
“Nah, no chance, bro,” Covington said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “Carlos has nothing for him. He’s just a straight striker. That’s going to be the easiest fight of Makhachev’s career. He’s going to take him down and submit him. I think he takes him down and submits him with like a kimura or a head-and-arm choke.”
“Michael Morales, we’ve got to see how his takedown defense is,” Covington continued. “We haven’t seen him in any big fights, in high-level five-round fights. So, we don’t know what to expect from him. We know Carlos can go five rounds. He does get a little tired. It kind of attributes to having a terrible habit, smoking cigarettes. He needs to quit that if he ever wants to be a legitimate champion. But I don’t know with Morales. I think he’s still unproven, and there’s still a lot to be seen with that guy.”
Quotes via MMA Junkie
Do you believe Prates has a good chance of upsetting Makhachev to become the new UFC welterweight champion? Let us know your thoughts on this in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!
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