‘I Have Been Paying The Price For Being Here Today’
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
It’s been a ride for “The Nightmare.”
Carlos Prates competes in his first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) main event at UFC Vegas 100 this weekend (Sat., Nov. 9, 2024) when he faces long-time UFC veteran Neil Magny from inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Prates has been on an absolute roll since grabbing a UFC contract on season six of Contender Series. The Welterweight has knocked out all three of his opponents - Trevin Giles, Charles Radke, and Li Jingliang (watch highlights) - in spectacular fashion to win three Performance of the Night bonuses.
While he is on track to become a real threat in the 170 lb division, it was not easy.
“Since when I was 15 years old, when I started training, I have been paying the price for being here today,” Prates told UFC.com. In 2015, I left my country, left my family, my friends to go live in Thailand. I spent almost six years there, so I like to say I paid the price and now I’m here.”
"Since when I was 15 years old, when I started training, I have been paying the price for being here today."
Carlos Prates believes it's finally his moment when he faces Neil Magny at #UFCVegas100
Fight By Fight Preview ➡️: https://t.co/YuFbWtwikm
— UFC News (@UFCNews) November 6, 2024
In addition to being away from his family for six years, the Brazilian alternated wins and losses during a stretch of his career from 2012 to 2017, which heavily detoured his path to reaching the UFC. However, after 2019, something clicked, and he has not lost since and is riding a 10-fight win streak.
With a win at UFC Vegas 100 against Magny, the self-proclaimed “gatekeeper” for the Welterweight division, Prates will jump into the UFC Top 15 rankings, snatching Magny’s No. 15 spot.
Currently, Prates is the biggest favorite on UFC Vegas 100 - sitting at -900, according to Fan Duel.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 100 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ preliminary card matchups which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining main card balance on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC Vegas 100 news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. For the updated and finalized “Magny vs. Prates” fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.
