Carlos Prates Predicts First UFC Champion From The Fighting Nerds

Yahoo

25-04-2025

Carlos Prates' (21-6) UFC Kansas City fight with Ian Machado Garry (15-1) wasn't the initial plan, but it might be an even better situation for "The Nightmare."
Prates had been planned for a UFC 314 welterweight matchup with Geoff Neal in Miami. The booking was scrapped when Neal went down due to an injury. Prates reflected on receiving the news during an interview with Athlon Sports.
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"Bro, I was a little bit angry," Prates admitted. "Like mad, but not with Geoff Neal, but about the situation. I was expecting to fight really soon."
Many fans were surprised that Garry stepped up on short notice to face Prates in the main event of a "UFC Fight Night" card. When asked if Garry's willingness to fight on short notice surprised him, Prates said he wasn't as shocked as the fans were.
"Not really," Prates said. "Probably they offered really big money to him, and they talked already. He was two days thinking about the fight before accepting the fight. I was expecting it already. I knew UFC asked him to fight me, and then they offered him more money, and he accepted."
Carlos Prates is a rising UFC welterweight contender, training under The Fighting Nerds.(via Zuffa LLC)
Things appeared to be cordial between Prates and Garry, but the Irishman recently called his upcoming opponent a "quitter." Prates was asked if he believes Garry is simply trying to hype up the fight.
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"I think so," Prates said. "Even he's not believing about what he's saying. He's just trying to hype the fight and things like that."
Prates is a part of one of the fastest-rising MMA gyms, The Fighting Nerds. Several names on the team have garnered success under the UFC banner. Prates said it isn't hard to figure out why The Fighting Nerds are on a roll.
"I think it's no secret to anyone," Prates said. "Just hard work, training hard, be a really good friend, try to help each other, and work hard, bro. Every [expletive] day we go to the gym and work hard."
There are a slew of top fighters on the team, such as Prates, Caio Borralho, Jean Silva, and Mauricio Ruffy. "The Nightmare" revealed his pick for who will be the first UFC champion out of The Fighting Nerds.
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"I think Caio," Prates said. "Caio is a different kind of guy. He's really, really, really good on his striking. Really, really good on the ground. I think Caio's going to be the first champ."
Borralho has been angling for an interim UFC middleweight title fight against Khamzat Chimaev amid injury rumors surrounding Dricus du Plessis. Since du Plessis has denied claims that he is injured, Prates isn't so sure that Borralho will be fighting Chimaev next.
"I wish so much," Prates said. "I really want that fight because, for me, Caio is the most difficult fighter to fight Khamzat Chimaev, but I heard something about du Plessis is going to be ready to fight in October.
"So, I think it's not going to happen, probably because Khamzat said he's going to fight somebody only for interim belt. So, if [du Plessis] is back in October, UFC probably doesn't want to make an interim belt."
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Going into UFC Kansas City, Prates is the No. 13-ranked UFC welterweight. He can climb up several spots with a win over the No. 7-ranked Garry on Saturday. Could a title shot potentially loom for Prates if he emerges victorious?
"I think so; it depends the way I beat Ian Garry, but for sure," Prates said. "Maybe with just one more fight, and then I go to the title."
Prates believes he can get a finish as the fight goes into deep waters. He even has an idea of how he can get there when the Octagon door closes.
"I'm going to hurt him; I'm going to punish him and make him give up the fight," Prates said. "I'm going to make him give the fight to me, and then I'm going to knock him out."
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