Carlos Prates is unfazed by the growing list of welterweight contenders calling for a fight, insisting his next appearance inside the Octagon will be for UFC gold.
Prates has positioned himself among the top contenders at 170 pounds after putting together three consecutive victories, most recently earning a dominant win over former champion Jack Della Maddalena.
His rise has made him a popular target for other contenders, with Sean Brady and Uros Medic among those who have publicly expressed interest in facing him.
However, Prates believes he has already done enough to secure the next title opportunity. With welterweight champion Islam Makhachev scheduled to defend his belt against Ian Machado Garry in the main event of UFC 330 on August 15, "The Nightmare" is confident he will challenge the winner.
Addressing the recent callouts in a post on Instagram, Prates dismissed the attention from his fellow contenders.
“A lot of you guys @seanbradymma , @medicu , and the other welterweights—have been mentioning my name. Calm down, brothers.
In my next fight, I’m taking that belt. After that, I’ll deal with all of you and take you straight to the Kingdom of Pain. Be ready.
Nothing personal, just business.”
With the welterweight title picture set to become clearer at UFC 330, Prates remains focused on championship gold before entertaining any of the challengers lining up behind him.
