Cigarettes, booze, and brutal knockouts. That was Carlos Prates’ recipe to enamor the MMA world and become one of its biggest standout fighters of 2024.
In short, the Brazilian striker fought four times, scored four knockouts, and won four $50,000 Performance of the Night bonuses. While those stats paint a great story, there’s much more to Prates than numbers.
Prates’ launchpad began in late 2023. He made quite the impression on the MMA fan base in November 2023, picking up a UFC contract with a quick TKO win over Mitch Ramirez at Dana White’s Contender Series. That performance was a sneak peek of what would come in 2024.
With a contract in hand, Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) booked his UFC debut for February, taking on seasoned veteran Trevin Giles. In his first order of business, Prates dismantled his rival. He picked him apart on the feet, and then hit a smooth one-two combo to roll Giles’ eyes back and send him towering down to the canvas. It was a spectacular scene.
Fuck it Carlos Prates X Red Hot Chili Peppers https://t.co/7QnG6s7ZLX pic.twitter.com/oR53Y4ta3Q
— Zachary (@Innacry4help) December 27, 2024
The party continued. Drinking booze, smoking 7-10 cigarettes a day, along with hard work and training, Prates quickly became a fan favorite and must-watch attraction. He was your average party bro who just happened to be a world-class fighter.
Prates folded Charles Radtke with a nasty body shot following his debut just four months later in June. He did so in the first round and got a second bonus for it. It was clear he was something special and brought something different to the table.
With a little more money and notoriety in the UFC, Prates upped the swag and quality of knockouts. He got veneers, and new, flashy bling to go with it. He also booked fights against two of the most respected veterans in the UFC – Li Jingliang and Neil Magny.
Those two next performances cemented were key for Prates. They cemented him as a real contender and graduated him from being just a flashy prelim fighter.
Against Jingliang, back in August, Prates became the first man to knock out the always tough Chinese fighter. It was an extremely respectable win that got Prates his third consecutive Performance of the Night bonus, as well as a main event spot for his next outing.
In November, Prates headlined UFC Fight Night 247 in Las Vegas against Magny – a tough veteran who sat at No. 15 in UFC official welterweight rankings. It was supposed to be Prates toughest fight yet, but he needed less than 5 minutes to put away Magny to get his fourth win and fourth Performance of the Night bonus.
Prates is quite the character. He’s got swag, he’s hilarious, and he can kick ass in the most entertaining way possible. There’s no denying he’s one of the best things that happened to the sport this year, and he was a big protagonist in the company in his rookie year. “The Nightmare” was an easy pick for MMA Junkie’s 2024 Newcomer of the Year.
