Outside Source
Carlos Prates made a statement at UFC 322. | Getty/UFC
Carlos Prates had a specific plan in mind against Leon Edwards at UFC 322.
After achieving his sixth knockout in the UFC, Prates spoke live with UFC Fight Pass Brazil reporter Evelyn Rodrigues and detailed his tactical plan to defeat Edwards.
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“Everything went as planned. I wasn’t worried about defending takedowns, but rather about hurting his legs to stop his movement and that’s what happened,” said Prates, revealing that the difficulty he faced in the first round was well-trained.
“Caio [Borralho] is very good in that position on the back and is much heavier than Leon, so I was very well-trained in it. So much so that I spent the whole time telling him ‘stop grabbing me and let’s fight.’”
According to Prates, trash talk during the fight was also part of his strategy.
“The idea was to break his mind there,” Prates said. “When he couldn’t finish me and saw that I was calmly talking to him the whole time, and I kicked his leg and saw that I hurt him, and he opened up his arms angry, I realized he lost control and that’s when we went for the knockout.”
Despite that approach, Prates says he has nothing but respect for the former welterweight champion, who has lost three straight fights in UFC competition.
“Regardless of the fight promotion, I have enormous respect for Edwards,” Prates said. “This guy got to where we all want to get, beating Usman twice, the guy who, for me, is the GOAT of the division and one of my idols in the sport, so I only have respect for Edwards.”
Prates also revealed the details of a backstage conversation he had with UFC CEO Dana White.
“I had asked Dana if the title shot would be mine if I knocked out the former champion in the first round, and he said yes,” Prates said. “I knocked him out in the second.”
Prates acknowledged that Michael Morales is also a worthy title contender at 170 pounds after the Ecuadorian knocked out Sean Brady in the opening stanza of their UFC 322 bout.
“Morales is very good, and he’s undefeated, which could weigh in his favor,” Prates said. “I think for entertainment reasons it has to be me, but he’s undefeated, and that could weigh in his favor.”
I’ll Be the First Brazilian Welterweight Champion
Aware that the welterweight division is the only weight class where Brazil has never held a championship belt in the UFC, Prates is confident that he can end this streak.
“You can bet I’m going to bring this belt to Brazil,” he said.
For now, though, Prates plans to enjoy the city after scoring the biggest victory of his career to date.
“New York, here I come. You can forget about me until Monday,” he said, concluding the interview by thanking the enormous support of his fans. “I feel incredibly welcomed by Brazilian fans. I would love to be able to respond to everyone. If I could, I would throw a party and drink a liter with everyone. Unfortunately, that’s not possible yet, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the affection and energy.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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