Athletes
Carlos Prates Wants A Title Shot Over Everything Else
Brazil’s Carlos Prates Has His Sights Locked On A Title Shot When He Faces A Former Champion In Perth On May 2
Pound-for-pound, Carlos Prates might be the coolest fighter on the roster.
“Cool” is subjective, but some people just have a particular energy, know they have it and don’t need to actively do anything other than live their truth — the people just follow. Of course, it helps when you’re putting away some of the best fighters in the world with ease like Prates. Since earning his contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, he's done nothing but entertain, picking up six Performance Bonus-earning knockouts.
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It’s why, when people bring up his cigarette smoking and heavy partying, they often say it with reverence rather than criticism. Even his lone loss in the Octagon, a decision result against Ian Machado Garry, featured a late surge that saw Prates nearly stop Machado Garry in the fifth round.
So, while Prates won’t exactly have the fans in his corner when he faces Perth-native Jack Della Maddalena at RAC Arena, hearing a more split crowd than one would assume in enemy territory won’t surprise many either.
“I have been working for 16 years since my first day on the journey, so it's nice [to be loved],” Prates told UFC.com. “It's nice, but I like to keep my feet on the ground, always keep working, keep getting better to become a champ.”
After falling to Machado Garry one year ago, Prates picked up a spinning elbow knockout of Geoff Neal before sleeping Leon Edwards with a straight left in New York City.
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Those wins, which came three months apart, landed him opposite Della Maddalena in Western Australia, and should Prates get his second win over a former champion, it could very well distinguish him from the wealth of title contenders at 170 pounds.
“I respect him,” Prates said. “[He] have good skills, good boxing, but Saturday night, it's going to be a long night for him. I will knock him out and get my title shot.”
Although Della Maddalena has shown off good grappling in the past, he found himself bowled over when he faced current champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 322. Prates isn’t Makhachev, though, and Prates knows he has a fully skilled mixed martial artist in his crosshairs this weekend.
Over the course of his UFC tenure, Prates seems humored when a reputable striker clinches up with him, almost as if they are relenting to the fact that the Brazilian is superior on the feet. And it’s even more of a credit to “The Nightmare” that he continues to, for the most part, thwart those grappling attempts and keep the fight where he is most dangerous.
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“I think my game plan is not [a] surprise to anyone,” he said. “I'll just hurt my opponents, make them give up [in their mind] and then knock them out. The next fight [is] going to be the same. I am planning to do the same with Jack, and I'm really excited to do this.”
Ever the entertainer, Prates maintains his approach is all business. Fight week is the fun part—the time when training takes a backseat to making weight—all leading to a crescendo on Saturday night when he makes the penultimate walk of the evening.
Main Event Preview | UFC Perth
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Main Event Preview | UFC Perth
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But all of it pales in comparison to getting a chance at UFC gold. That’s what this main event slot, this matchup and, hypothetically, this performance is all about: a chance to become champion.
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“The most exciting part is to get my title shot,” Prates said. “That’s why I fly here. I bring a lot of people with me: they crossed the world to watch me get my title shot, so it's going to be huge for us.”
UFC Fight Night: Della Maddalena vs Prates took place live from RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia on May 2, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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