UFC 330 Fallout: Prates Gets Makhachev Shot, Zhang Awaits Dern
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- Islam Makhachev retained his welterweight title at UFC 330 but was visibly troubled by Ian Machado Garry's kicks and defense, with Carlos Prates and Michael Morales both shown Octagon-side after the fight as the next wave of contenders.
- Carlos Prates is the source's pick for the next Makhachev title shot, owning brutal knockouts of former champions Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards — the latter being Edwards' first career KO loss — while Morales' best wins are limited to Sean Brady and a retired Gilbert Burns.
- Ian Machado Garry elevated his stock even in defeat per the article, with the recommended next booking pairing him against Michael Morales as a co-main event on the same card while Sean Brady vs. Gabriel Bonfim plays out in November.
- Mackenzie Dern kept her strawweight title with improved striking on the feet and ground dominance over Gillian Robertson through two rounds, but the source says her reign won't "feel real" until she faces former champion Zhang Weili — with Tatiana Suarez the alternative if Zhang remains tied up at flyweight.
- Gillian Robertson barely registered offense against Dern until stealing a meaningless fifth round, a performance the source says does not warrant top-five opportunities, instead pointing to Alexia Thainara — fresh off a win over former title challenger Amanda Lemos — as the next opponent.
- Zhang Weili vacated the strawweight title to challenge for the flyweight crown and remains the strawweight division's measuring stick per the source, making a Dern fight the only matchup that would legitimize the current reign.
Why it matters: Carlos Prates' knockouts of former welterweight champions Jack Della Maddalena and Leon Edwards make him the clear next Makhachev challenger per the source, and pairing Garry with Michael Morales as co-main solves the backup problem if the champion can't compete. For Dern, the article calls a Zhang Weili fight the only one that legitimizes her reign — with Tatiana Suarez as the alternative if Zhang remains at flyweight.
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