{"id":38084,"date":"2026-05-04T17:48:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-04T17:48:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sherdog.com\/news\/news\/Michael-Morales-pitches-potential-title-eliminator-matchup-at-170-pounds-201068"},"modified":"2026-05-04T17:48:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T17:48:21","slug":"michael-morales-pitches-potential-title-eliminator-matchup-at-170-pounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.martialartskleinanzeigen.com\/videos\/michael-morales-pitches-potential-title-eliminator-matchup-at-170-pounds\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael Morales pitches potential title eliminator matchup at 170 pounds"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Even after the dramatic happenings of the
\nUFC Perth<\/a> headliner, there remains a logjam in the welterweight
\ntitle picture.<\/p>\n

In an effort to separate himself from the crowded pack of
\ncontenders at 170 pounds, Prates annihilated former champ Jack
\nDella Maddalena<\/a> in the third round of a fairly one-sided
\nbeating. \u201cThe Nightmare\u201d dropped the Aussie once in the second
\nround and twice in the third to complete his rout, one that saw him
\noutland his foe by 46 to 1<\/a> in
\nthe last round of their collision.<\/p>\n

\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The victor wants nothing else than a Ultimate Fighting Championship<\/a> championship
\npairing, but he might have to wait. Rumors are swirling, with
\nPrates the originator of at least one, that Ian Garry<\/a>
\nwill be challenging Islam
\nMakhachev<\/a> for the belt at UFC 330 in August. Additional options
\nfor contention include Michael
\nMorales<\/a>, Sean Brady<\/a>,
\nIlia
\nTopuria<\/a> should he get past Justin
\nGaethje<\/a> in June. Kamaru
\nUsman<\/a> was even floated as a potential option to face Makhachev
\nnext.<\/p>\n

While Morales (19-0) considered himself in the race until recently,
\nhe has seemingly accepted that Garry may be ahead of him in line.
\nPosting on his Instagram
\nStories<\/a> on Sunday, the undefeated Ecuadorian shared a composite
\nmatchup image of himself against Prates.<\/p>\n

Not everyone is sold on that pairing, chiefly Prates himself.
\nSaying so at the UFC Perth post-fight press conference, Prates
\nremarked that when not preparing for a fight, he likes to party and
\nlet himself go for a few months. His team wishes he would change
\nhis plan, but this means short turnarounds for the Brazilian are
\nlargely off the table. He suggested that he would be much more
\nwilling to wait for a championship bout than face Morales, even if
\nit means he sits on the shelf for a while. Should Makhachev-Garry
\ntake place in August, based on championship schedules, the next
\nwelterweight title tilt may not take place until the end of the
\nyear or even early 2027.<\/p>\n