Dana White's Contender Series
Carlos Prates | Dana White's Contender Series Grad Showcase
Highlighting Fighters Who Made Their Mark On Dana White’s Contender Series And Have Continued To Impress In The UFC
Dana White’s Contender Series has proven to be a launching pad for rising UFC stars, offering fighters the opportunity to showcase their skills in front of the UFC CEO.
With one chance to make an impression, DWCS fighters can earn a UFC contract based solely on their performance that night if White believes they have what it takes to compete with UFC talent.
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In this series, we showcase DWCS grads who have started to rise the ranks since earning their UFC contract on the show, and who better to highlight next than the man who solidified himself as one of the welterweight division’s hottest prospects after a huge win at UFC 305: Du Plessis vs Adesanya, Carlos Prates, who returns to the Octagon for his first UFC main event this Saturday against Neil Magny.
Carlos Prates
Brazil’s Carlos Prates captured the attention of Dana White and UFC fans worldwide last August with a walk-off KO finish against Mitch Ramirez, delivering one of the standout performances of Dana White’s Contender Series Season 7.
Not only was awarding Prates a UFC contract one of White’s easiest decisions all season, but he also gave some of the highest praise we’ve heard on the show, going as far as comparing Prates to UFC Hall of Famer Anderson “The Spider” Silva.
READ: Fight By Fight Preview | UFC Fight Night: Magny vs Prates
“Smooth, calm, violent, absolutely nasty combos,” White said when describing Prates’ fighting style after the fight. “In the first round, he landed 70 percent of his strikes. The UFC average Is 44 percent. He came out in the second round and looked even better [and] finished the fight. This kid, he’s 17-6 now, he’s 30 years old, we could throw him right in the mix. He could fight anybody. The way he looked tonight, he looked like a prime, young, vintage Anderson Silva to me. This dude is absolutely in the UFC.”
As White anticipated, the matchmakers wasted no time throwing Prates straight into the mix with a debut fight against 13-fight UFC veteran Trevin Giles, who holds a win over No. 10 ranked middleweight Roman Dolidze and has shared the Octagon with UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis.
Carlos Prates Gets A Highlight Reel KO In His Debut | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Pyfer
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Carlos Prates Gets A Highlight Reel KO In His Debut | UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs Pyfer
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Despite it being his first official bout as a UFC fighter, Prates fought as if he’d been in the Octagon 100 times. There were a few moments where Giles did well to disrupt “The Nightmare’s” rhythm, but with one minute to go in the second round, Prates unleashed a left hand to put Giles away without needing any follow-up. The win earned Prates his first UFC Performance of the Night bonus.
Prates returned to the Octagon less than four months later to face Charles Radtke at UFC Louisville. After six straight decisions to start the night, Prates won over the crowd when he landed a vicious knee to the liver, stopping Radtke with less than 15 seconds left in the first round.
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That brings us to the latest and most jaw-dropping performance of his UFC career. This past Saturday at UFC 305: Du Plessis vs. Adesanya, Prates faced his toughest challenge to date, on paper, in Li Jingliang.
“The Leech” has fought the who's who in the welterweight division, including Khamzat Chimaev, Santiago Ponzinibbio, Neil Magny and Daniel Rodriguez. The 10-year UFC veteran is known for his durability and thunderous striking, which have earned him seven performance bonuses throughout his career.
Carlos Prates Post-Fight Interview | UFC 305
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Carlos Prates Post-Fight Interview | UFC 305
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But as soon as the Octagon door shut, it was all Prates. While it was virtually even in terms of strikes landed through five minutes, there was a noticeable discrepancy in power when Prates landed.
“The Nightmare” began pouring on the pressure in the second round, landing heavier blows that were leaving visible damage on Li. With a minute and a half left in the round, Prates knocked Li down with a straight left hand. Rather than jumping on Li, Prates stayed composed and allowed him to get back to his feet. Seconds later, Prates landed a picture-perfect left hook, knocking out Li for the first time in “The Leech’s” 28-fight professional career.
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“I always step in the Octagon to try to knock my opponent out,” Prates told UFC.com after his win over Li. “Not because I want to be a bad guy or something like that. It’s just my work. I’m a striker; [I have] more than 100 Muay Thai fights, so I have to knock my opponent out.”
That’s three UFC fights, three walk-off knockouts and three Performance of the Night bonuses for Prates, who’s had one of the most impressive starts to a UFC career of any Dana White’s Contender Series grad. Next, Prates will try to crack the Top 15 with a win over UFC veteran Neil Magny this Saturday in the main event at UFC Fight Night: Magny vs Prates.
UFC Fight Night: Magny vs Prates took place live from UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on October 12, 2024. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!