Despite the cancellation of the fight at UFC 314 , which takes place next Saturday (12), Carlos Prates is more determined than ever. In an exclusive interview with SUPER LUTAS , Cristian Nogueira — leader of the VTT team and coach of the smoker — revealed the behind-the-scenes of the athlete's preparation after the cancellation of the fight against Geoff Neal . The coach also shared expectations for the confrontation against Ian Garry and pointed out which names in the welterweight division (up to 77kg) the 'Nightmare' would like to face in the UFC.
Cris Nogueira explained that the team was frustrated by the cancellation of the fight against Geoff Neal , especially since they were already in the final stretch of their training camp. However, after a conversation with their manager, they were informed that Dana White was already working to find a new opponent. With that, the team chose to stay focused and continue training, confident that something good was to come.
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“Man, I confess that we were a little frustrated. Man, a fight fell through, we had already trained so much, it was at the end of the camp, in fact: 'Damn, what are we going to do now?' But our manager, Lucas, said that Hunter and, in this case, Dana White, were already preparing something cool to replace this fight, and by Monday he would already give us an answer. So, we stayed there, training the same way, with our heads focused. I told Carlos, we talked a little — me, Carlos, Pablo, Flávio —, they said: 'man, keep going because good things are going to come for us, you can be sure.'” said the leader of Vale Top Team.
The coach said everyone was on edge after Dana White announced he would make a big announcement. When it was revealed that the new opponent would be Ian Garry , Carlos Prates reacted enthusiastically, showing himself ready for the challenge. According to Cris, the team saw the opportunity as a true victory, comparing the news to a "symbolic knockout" of Geoff Neal , since they would now face an even higher-ranked rival.
“Then, on Tuesday morning, Dana White announced that he was going to make a big announcement. There was a lot of anticipation, because even Lucas didn't know what was going to happen, nobody knew, and when he said it was Ian Garry … oh my god! Then he ( Carlos Prates ) said: 'Let's go, let's get him'. We were given a great fight. I'll even repeat what Pablo from Fight Nerds said: 'We're considering this fight as if it were a knockout', as if Carlos had knocked out Geoff Neal . Of course, that wasn't the case, but we were given a great opportunity – we've already gotten our tenth, we just got our seventh – we're very close to our dream, which is the belt,” explained Carlos Prates ' coach.
Carlos Prates sets his sights on Joaquin Buckley but has dreamed of Garry since he joined the UFC
Carlos Prates is a standout Brazilian in the UFC welterweight division. Photo: Instagram / Carlos Prates
The leader of Vale Top Team revealed that the team is interested in facing names like Colby Covington , Joaquin Buckley , and even Kamaru Usman . According to him, Carlos Prates has a special desire to face Buckley, considering him a tough opponent with a good stylistic matchup. The fighter also revealed that he prefers this type of confrontation in a five-round main event. Still, everyone was very pleased with the announcement of Ian Garry as the next opponent, as he was a name that 'The Nightmare' had dreamed of facing since arriving in the UFC.
“If Covington came, it would be great. Joaquin Buckley too. We mentioned it ourselves, not the UFC people, but we wanted it, you know? You can send Kamaru, you can send Joaquin Buckley , Covington… Carlos really wants to fight Joaquin Buckley , he thinks he's a tough guy, he thinks it would be a good matchup, a cool fight. He always says… But not in a 3-round fight, we prefer a 5-round fight, in the main event, headlining a good card. That would be cool. But we were very happy because when Carlos joined the UFC, he had two or three fights and said this name: 'Man, it would be cool if Ian and I fought on a good card, in a main event, later on, but I'll get there'. He told me… it seems like he threw it out there, the universe conspired and everything worked out,” Cris said.
Coldness and focus are the differences in Carlos Prates' career
Carlos Prates wins again and remains undefeated in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction X/UFC News
Despite Carlos Prates being about to face the biggest fight of his career, his coach highlighted that the fighter maintains his composure and focus, without letting success go to his head. According to him, Prates' greatest asset lies in his discipline and commitment to training and studying his opponents.
“Carlos is a cool guy, a kid who grew up that way, he doesn’t get carried away. I think what sets Carlos apart is that you don’t see him getting carried away. He trains a lot. He made the opponents he faced look easy because of the way he trains, the way he studies the kids. He has hyper-focus, he keeps watching, he conducts the fight the way he wants to,” declared the Muay Thai specialist.
Coach points to Ian Garry as the biggest challenge in Carlos Prates' career
Carlos Prates (left) and Ian Garry (right) face off at UFC Kansas City . Photo: SUPER LUTAS montage
Cristian Nogueira acknowledges Ian Garry 's talent and pointed out that he will likely be the toughest opponent Carlos Prates has faced so far. However, the coach believes the Irishman will avoid a direct fight and opt for a strategic and safe approach, strictly adhering to the rules.
“I don’t think it’s going to be an easy fight. I think Ian Garry is definitely the toughest opponent Carlos will face. He’s not in seventh place for nothing; he’s a guy who really deserved it. But I think everyone’s saying he’s going to stick with Carlos—yes, for sure, he’s going to stick with Carlos—he’s also a striker, but he’s going to play by the rules. I think that’s how he’ll think, for sure,” the coach opined.
Coach designs Ian Garry's strategy with Demian Maia's influence, but guarantees that Prates is ready
Carlos Prates (left) and Ian Garry (right) face off at UFC Kansas City . Photo: SUPER LUTAS montage
He commented that Ian Garry has an intelligent fighting style and, in grappling, often seeks to take his opponents' backs—a strategy he used even before entering the UFC. Now, with the support of Demian Maia , a specialist in this area, Garry must have further refined this approach. Despite this, he emphasizes that Carlos Prates has prepared well for this type of situation and is ready to neutralize these attempts.
“I’ve heard a lot that he’s now with Demian Maia , and Demian Maia has a good back-take game. Man, I’ve been following Ian Garry , I’ve seen him fight for a long time, even before he entered the UFC. Man, in every fight he takes his opponent’s back, in every fight he uses that game. When he feels danger there, he does it. If you watch, you can see: go watch his fights, in every fight he tries to get to the opponent’s back in some way. I’ve seen him do that. I think Demian Maia has definitely improved it a little more, he’s learned some details. But anyway, Carlos trained well for those takes,” he added.
If Ian Garry opts for grappling, Cris explained that Carlos Prates is used to facing opponents who try to take him down and test him on the ground, but stressed that this doesn't represent a problem. The coach highlighted that 'Fumante' is a black belt in Jiu-Jitsu, has been training since 2009, and possesses good ground skills. According to him, Prates' preparation is focused especially on grappling—even more so than on Muay Thai, which is his specialty.
“Carlos will fight the opponent he has always fought. Everyone wants to take Carlos down, everyone wants to get on his back, everyone wants to put Carlos to the ground to test his jiu-jitsu ground game. Carlos is a jiu-jitsu black belt and has been training jiu-jitsu since he was 15 years old. He started training in 2009. He is a good kid, a tough kid, he has good sweeps, good submissions, and he is good on the ground. And Carlos’ camp is more ground-based, more ground-based, more cage-based than Muay Thai itself,” observed the leader of Vale Top Team.
Cristian Nogueira believes in Carlos Prates' experience in Muay Thai, resilience and love for the sport
Cristian Nogueira and Carlos Prates training at Vale Top Team. Photo: Instagram / Cristian Nogueira
Even though Ian Garry is a more experienced fighter at the highest level of the UFC, Cristian highlighted that Carlos Prates possesses vast experience in Muay Thai. He recalled that the athlete trained from a young age, fought in Brazil, Thailand, and even China—often without a team or corner. Prates faced numerous adversities, such as competing alone in another country, and still emerged victorious. According to Cris, his pupil is extremely experienced, accustomed to training in discomfort, and possesses a very strong mentality.
“He’s been doing Muay Thai his whole life. He’s always been doing it, he trained with me for a long time, then he went to Thailand, fought, had several fights. Here in Brazil, he had, man, many fights — at least 50 fights here, on the national scene. He won several, went to Thailand, won several, went to China. Man, this kid is tested, he’s used to the climates. Try to imagine a guy living in China, with no one around. He was in Thailand and went to China. His corner was himself. He would go up to fight the best fighters in China. He would call someone from the audience there, who was at the event, who didn’t even speak his language. He would put a bottle of water there himself and drink it. I think Carlos is a very experienced kid, he’s used to training in a lot of discomfort. He’s sinister, you know? And everything you tell him to do, he does… And most importantly: he loves what he does. He likes what he does,” concluded Cristian Nogueira.
Carlos Prates and Ian Garry will face off in the main event of UFC Kansas, scheduled for April 26th.
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