Carlos Prates doesn’t see Jack Della Maddalena as a stern test for UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad.
Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) defends his welterweight title against Della Maddalena (17-2 MMA, 7-0 UFC) May 10 in the UFC 315 main event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) at Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Surging contender Prates confidently predicts a Muhammad win.
“I think Belal’s going to win,” Prates told Home of Fight. “Jack Della Maddalena looks like a good fighter, but he fought one time Kevin Holland and he won by split decision. Then he fought another guy, I don’t remember the name, he’s not even anymore in the UFC, and then he fought Gilbert Burns and he was losing the fight, and in the last minute he won the fight.
“OK, it’s good but only his good win is against Gilbert Burns, and Belal Muhammad has been beating a lot of guys really good. I would like to see Jack Della Maddalena as a champ because he’s striker and things like that, but I think Belal Muhammad’s going to win. It’s not going to be a hard fight.”
After four knockouts and four Performance of the Night bonuses to kick off his octagon tenure, Fighting Nerds’ Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) will look to emerge as a top contender when he takes on Ian Machado Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) April 26 in the UFC on ESPN 66 main event at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 315.
