Carlos Prates is living the dream on mixed martial arts' biggest stage, having emerged victorious from his maiden UFC main event this past weekend.
After earning a contract on Dana White's Contender Series in 2023, Prates has announced himself as a name to watch at 170 pounds by reeling off four straight wins in his debut year inside the Octagon.
All of those came by way of knockout, with the most recent being a brutal one-punch finish of veteran contender Neil Magny in Saturday's UFC Vegas 100 headliner.
"The Nightmare" lived up to his moniker by swarming "The Haitian Sensation" with strikes after defending the 37-year-old's early attempts to drag the fight to the mat. And after putting Magny on skates, a glancing blow to the temple face-planted him.
During his post-fight press conference, Prates reflected on his latest triumph in the UFC, which should see him with a number next to his name come the latest rankings update on Tuesday.
The Brazilian admitted his winning run in 2024 is like a "dream" given his early days in the sport, which saw him follow the grueling path from making pennies on the regional scene to earning a living toward the top of the MMA ladder.
It’s a dream,” Prates said. “A few years ago — not a few years ago, I think two years ago, one year and a half I was fighting for maybe $200. Now I’m doing a lot of money. It’s a dream. I worked hard for this for many years and I’m really happy.
And Prates doesn't appear to plan on slowing down in 2025.
Having secured a place in the top 15, "The Nightmare" has his sights on continuing to climb closer to title contention. Judging by his post-fight remarks, he's hoping for that to come at the expense of either Jack Della Maddalena or Geoff Neal in the coming months.
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