Whereas Carlos
Prates (20-9) is likely one of the most fun welterweight
prospects within the UFC at the moment, his early profession wasn’t as
promising.
Prates made his professional debut in 2012 and went 5-4 in his first 9
bouts, alternating between wins and losses. Nonetheless, “The
Nightmare” has since turned his profession round, profitable 15 of his
final 17 with 14 finishes. Prates credit the time he spent in
Thailand for the abrupt turnaround in his profession. The Brazilian
additionally admits that he was nonetheless very younger and inclined to creating
errors throughout the early section of his profession.
“I believe after I spend numerous time in Thailand as a result of Thailand
give me numerous expertise,” Prates recently told Kevin Iole. “And make me extra
assured to combat [in] muay thai or MMA. Additionally, I used to be actually younger
after I was shedding rather a lot. And was preventing in unsuitable weight division.
And didn’t prepare an excessive amount of, spend numerous time with issues that
don’t make me higher. Then I get slightly bit previous, extra assured
and issues like that.”
Prates earned his
UFC contract with a knockout win on
Dana White’s Contender Series final yr and has since racked up
three-fight ending streak. Prates’ win over Mitch
Ramirez on the Contender Collection earned him a comparability to the
legendary Anderson
Silva from Dana White. Whereas Prates welcomes the comparability, he
doesn’t really feel any strain to dwell as much as expectations. The
31-year-old additionally hopes to develop into a benchmark for comparability like
Silva in his UFC profession.
“I don’t really feel any strain to be sincere,” he mentioned. “I simply step
within the cage and attempt to do my greatest… We hear about I appear like
Anderson
Silva, it’s very nice. However I work laborious to, perhaps in 5
years, 10 years, Dana White coming to a different man and say, ‘Hey
that man appear like a Carlos
Prates in his prime.’”
Prates is scheduled to headline UFC
Vegas 100 — also referred to as UFC Struggle Evening 247 — towards veteran
Neil
Magny (26-12) on the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. Prates
hopes to be ranked within the High 15 with a possible win.
“I should be ranked if I win towards Magny,” he mentioned. “If I
don’t get the win, I don’t deserve. However I believe so, I believe I’m
gonna combat Neil Magny,
I’m gonna knock him out. With all due respect, he appears to be like like a
very nice man. Nevertheless it’s enterprise is what it’s.”
