Carlos Prates is not done raging at Islam Makhachev. After the Dagestani abruptly withdrew from their projected title fight in January 2027, Prates has been so critical of the welterweight champion’s “passion” for fighting. Now, ‘The Nightmare’ has taken their animosity to another level by firing off a warning and a brutal threat toward Makhachev.

“So, this guy comes out saying he wants to be an active champion, and he wants to fight,” Prates told Laerteviana MMA. “Hunter even said that a date had been reserved for him. And then he just came out and said he didn’t want it. He chickened out.

“The situation I have now is to beat Morales and get the interim belt. Then I’m going to come back and beat Makhachev twice as badly as I was going to before. Just so he could learn his lesson and stop being such a Coward!” 

Carlos Prates’s disdain for Islam Makhachev stemmed from his conviction that the 170 lbs champion’s withdrawal had cost him an opportunity to compete for the undisputed title. 

Before all the drama unfolded, the UFC targeted Makhachev’s defense against Prates at UFC 336 on January 30, 2027, in Canada. For a moment, it looked like a done deal. However, reports began circulating in late October that Makhachev had pulled out of the event.

The welterweight king’s withdrawal forced the promotion to book Carlos Prates vs. Michael Morales for the interim title. Later, the Dagestani icon clarified his stance.

Addressing the circumstances surrounding his withdrawal, Makhachev explained that he opted not to defend his belt in January so he could face a clear-cut No. 1 contender. He would return once either Prates or Morales proved themselves worthy of his undisputed belt. 

“Prates and Morales will fight, determine who a true worthy contender, and I will fight [the winner]. They will [fight] among themselves,” Makhachev said.

Indeed, the Brazilian will be next if he beats Morales to grab the interim belt. However, Prates would still have to defeat Makhachev to call himself the undisputed champion, which he had intended to do in January.

Losing such a glorious opportunity because the champ refused to fight angered Prates, and he fired off another brutal warning to Makhachev.

“Right when the time finally comes to achieve my dream of becoming champion, the guy pulls something like this,” Prates added. “But that’s just how it is. Morales is the one who is going to pay the price now, and then I’m going to get Islam afterward.” 

However, this is not the first time the 33-year-old has fired a warning shot at the Dagestani. In an Instagram post, Prates called Makhachev a “coward” for sabotaging his dream of becoming champion and also vowed to “retire” him.

In fact, Carlos Prates took his animosity with Islam Makhachev to another level by urging the champion to vacate the title if he is not fit to fight.

Carlos Prates wants Islam Makhachev to vacate the belt  

As of now, Makhachev hasn’t revealed any injury-related concerns as his reason for pulling out of UFC 336. Because of this, Prates firmly believes the Dagestani should be stripped of his title for not defending it despite being fit.

“I think everybody was pretty pissed about this situation,” Prates said in the same interview. “I was p–ed. The UFC was p—ed. They didn’t like it. If you don’t have any serious injury, and you are not hurt, then fight, man. You are getting paid to do this. Your contract is for this. This is your job. How are you just not going to do it? Why wouldn’t you do it?

“You are not injured. Nothing wrong with you. There are other people who want to fight. Man, if you don’t want to fight, just vacate your belt, and that’s it. But instead, you are acting like an a— hole. That’s some a— hole s—t, you know?”

Prates asking Makhachev to relinquish his belt once again proved that he is still hurt about not fighting for the undisputed title. If the Russian legend had chosen to give up his title, for instance, Prates would have faced Morales for the actual belt instead of the interim one.

He cannot change that now, which is why he was poised to brutally berate Makhachev on multiple occasions. Alongside Prates, former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub also urged the UFC to strip Makhachev for not fighting at UFC 336.

With the showdown in Canada getting close, Carlos Prates and Islam Makhachev’s rivalry is getting more heated. By the looks of it, it won’t die down soon.