Carlos Prates and The Fighting Nerds

Carlos Prates is basically the terminator.

Man up, man down—this is the mantra of those that step foot in the cage with “The Nightmare.” Upon seeing his highlight reel, one will conclude that he does, indeed live up to that nickname.

Standing before him at UFC Kansas City is a man who also has put contender after contender behind him: Ian Machado Gary. Prates is looking for his shot, his win, over a major UFC asset and a spot in the top ten of the UFC’s welterweight rankings.

Carlos Prates: The Terminator

With “Muay Thai” tattooed across his chest, it’s clear what Carlos Prates wants to do: take his foe’s head off. Many have fallen to just that intent. With Ian Machado Garry standing in front of him, that challenge will be that much harder.

Garry is a smart fighter. He knows when he’s out of his depth standing. Against Michael Page, Garry opted to grapple the karate standout and snagged the win. Prates, who boasts a 91% takedown defense in the UFC, must be ready to mix the martial arts.

This fight will be the hardest test for Carlos Prates. Garry will likely try to take everything Prates is good at away from him. He will look to grapple with Prates. Carlos Prates will have to fluster Garry and make him fight his game.

The Fighting Nerds

The Fighting Nerds are probably the hottest gym in MMA right now. Carlos Prates was born in the fire of said gym. Caio Borralho, Jean Silva, Mauricio Ruffy—these names are the next for the UFC. Prates was made for this.

This team has not revolutionized MMA. They’re not changing the meta of the sport. But as the old saying goes, iron sharpens iron. This is a gym full of killers. They are all capable of winning a title in their respective divisions, though most probably will not.

That is what Carlos Prates has that Ian Machado Garry does not. Nobody has the talent that The Fighting Nerds has. Prates will be the next to test the team.

Continue Reading