Carlos Prates desires to spice up his meteoric rise within the UFC with a top-ranked foe within the first quarter of 2025.
Now 3-0 within the UFC, with a trio of bonus-winning knockouts this yr, Prates headlines UFC Vegas 100 this Saturday in opposition to 33-time octagon welterweight veteran Neil Magny on the UFC APEX, and already has a goal in thoughts for his subsequent bout. Beforehand linked to a struggle with Randy Brown, he plans to name for a much bigger identify as a substitute.
“I feel I’ll be means forward with a win over Neil Magny,” Prates mentioned in an interview with MMA Combating. “I’ll be ranked, and there’s no level preventing Randy Brown anymore. He ran from me as soon as, there’s no level chasing him—though I feel he’s means simpler than Neil Magny. I used to be trying on the rating, and I need to struggle in Australia in February. Possibly I’ll name out Jack Della Maddalena.”
UFC’s return to Sydney is scheduled for Feb. 8 and Maddalena is predicted to be on the cardboard after successful seven straight within the octagon, most lately a third-round stoppage over Gilbert Burns. Prates completed Li Jingliang this previous August.
“I don’t know if the UFC would make this struggle due to the rankings, however that’s the struggle I would like in the meanwhile,” Prates mentioned. “And I don’t know if he would take this struggle both since I’m ranked decrease than him, however that struggle would make me completely happy and I feel it is smart. Let’s go! When you don’t ask, you don’t get.”
Maddalena has gained 5 of his seven UFC bouts through stoppage and Prates is assured he may very well be the primary to complete the Australian standout contained in the octagon.
“We might break one another in there,” Prates mentioned with amusing. “He’s a sturdy man and exhausting to knock out, so I feel it will be three rounds of warfare. I feel I’d beat him, however it will be powerful. It will be superior.”
Magny is his subsequent task and Prates predicts a end earlier than getting into the championship rounds to make a case for a giant identify subsequent, particularly after seeing Shavkat Rakhmonov and Ian Machado Garry get huge jumps within the division after beating the veteran.
Prates admitted he anticipated to be the favourite in opposition to Magny, however was shocked to see the veteran such a heavy underdog odds-wise. The 31-year-old striker, nonetheless, vows to not underestimate Magny in Las Vegas.
“I anticipated to be the favourite contemplating my 10-fight successful streak and my knockouts and the very fact I’m youthful, however not by that a lot,” Prates mentioned. “I see feedback on-line of individuals type of underestimating Neil Magny. I feel I’ll win, I feel I’ll knock him out, however I don’t anticipate a simple struggle like some are saying as a result of he’s skilled and may decelerate a struggle. He’s ranked No. 15 on the planet for a cause, proper? He’s overwhelmed a variety of hyped fighters, so I’m working to verify he doesn’t derail my hype.”
“I feel I’ll knock him out across the third spherical,” he added. “He gained’t are available attempting to commerce with me. I feel he’ll wrestle and attempt to maintain me in opposition to the cage. I don’t even know if he’ll attempt to take me down, simply do this boring struggle, you understand? That’s what I anticipate. If he is available in buying and selling, that’s nice, however I’m prepared for every little thing.”
