Carlos Prates is planning a war against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC Perth and makes a bold promise.

Carlos Prates celebrates victory in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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Carlos Prates This Saturday (2) he will have the most important fight of his career when he faces Jack Della Maddalena in the main fight of UFC PerthIn Australia, the Brazilian faces the former welterweight champion (up to 77 kg) in a fight that could put him very close to a future title shot. Confident for the challenge, the Fighting Nerds athlete analyzed his opponent's current form and guaranteed he is prepared for a true five-round war, although his main objective is to settle everything quickly.

In an interview with the channel 'Laerte Viana na área – MMA', the Fighting Nerds athlete made it clear that he doesn't foresee an easy fight, mainly because Maddalena is coming off a loss in a title fight against Islam makhachev.

"I expect a guy who lost the belt and is coming in full of hatred to show he's still alive in the division. I'm ready to go five rounds of war like that. It's going to be the toughest fight of my life."

"But hopefully it won't be like that, right? Hopefully I'll land two punches and he'll be gone. We're training for that, to knock him out. He's a former champion. If I get there and knock out another former champion, it's certain that the opportunity will come," he stated in an interview.

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Analyzing the matchup technically, Carlos highlighted that he sees an advantage precisely in the variety of weapons he possesses on his feet. While Maddalena is known for his aggressive boxing and constant pressure, the Brazilian believes he is a more complete and versatile striker.

“He’s a good boxer, but I’m a complete striker. I kick, I hurt, I elbow, I knee, and I also box. I think that’s my advantage. He’s a boxer, I’m a much more dynamic guy,” he explained.

Despite respecting his opponent's game, Prates stated that he is not worried about the possibility of being taken down or controlled on the ground. For him, the main concern will be preventing Maddalena from feeling comfortable in the striking exchanges and from gaining momentum emotionally during the fight.

"The biggest concern is his striking. We need to prevent him from enjoying the fight, from taking too many hits, because otherwise he'll grow stronger and it will be difficult to contain him," he said.

When asked how he imagined the fight would end, the Brazilian was direct and didn't hide his confidence, predicting another knockout victory.

"Knockout. I believe in a knockout. I think it will happen around the second or third round," he declared.

Carlos Prates already has plans after UFC Perth.

Even though a victory could immediately put him on the path to the belt, Carlos revealed in an interview with the channel 'Laerte Viana na área – MMA' that he doesn't intend to rush the process. According to him, a potential title fight in August would be too soon, as he plans to rest after his commitment in Perth.

The Brazilian joked that he already has plans to enjoy a few days in Europe before thinking about a new training camp, but assured that he would accept if the UFC treated the opportunity as something irresistible.

“I don’t even think I want that right now. Am I going to fight in May and then fight for the belt in August? No, let’s leave that for later. I want to go to Europe, spend a few days in Hungary, in the Netherlands, enjoy myself a bit,” he concluded.