Carlos Prates is confident that a victory in Perth will secure him a welterweight title shot, but the Brazilian slugger isn't ruling out a future move to lightweight if the path to gold shifts.

Speaking ahead of his May 2 main event, Prates believes another win over a former champion would put him directly in the title conversation. However, with Ian Machado Garry currently positioned as the next contender for Islam Makhachev, and Ilia Topuria lurking as a potential opponent, the welterweight picture could get crowded.

In a recent interview, Prates playfully suggested that if Topuria—known as "El Matador"—moves up to 170 pounds, he might drop down to 155 and chase the lightweight belt instead. "I can do 155," Prates told MMA Fighting. "Of course I can. Normally I'm like 85 kilos, 84, so I can do lightweight. But I'm kidding. I don't want to do too much dieting anymore, but yeah, let's see."

At 6'1", Prates holds a clear height advantage over his opponent Jack Della Maddalena, a fact that was evident during their face-offs. Still, Prates expects the Australian to be the stronger fighter once the Octagon door closes. With a win, Prates could find himself in a unique position—stalking the welterweight throne while keeping one eye on the lightweight division.