Carlos Prates took to Instagram to drop an edited picture where he is seen squaring off against former welterweight champion, Leon Edwards. The rising star’s post, which seems to tease a potential showdown, has left the MMA community excited.
In the photo, Prates, 31, can be seen fighting Edwards. An emoji that said, “soon”, is seen too.
Carlos Prates shares an edit of him fighting Leon Edwards with the “” emoji
IG / ifonlymma #UFC #MMA pic.twitter.com/N0nW9XDgTf
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) December 27, 2024
However, there has not been any official announcement about the fight, yet. Not even rumors connecting the two fighters.
The fight, though, has the potential to shake up the division. Edwards, the No. 1 ranked fighter, is coming off a title reign. Prates, ranked 13th, is hungry to climb up the ranks. The matchup does promise fireworks.
Both are known to be electric strikers, so the fight would also be highly entertaining. Chins of both the fighters would also be evenly tested.
However, the difference in rankings makes it a high-risk prospect for Edwards, who is looking to get another title shot against Belal Muhammad. A loss can completely ruin his plans.
Prates, on the other hand, is on an 11-fight win streak. And all but one of those victories came via stoppages.
Prates journey in the UFC so far
The year 2024 was a wild one for Brazil’s Fighting Nerds gym. The São Paulo-based team saw their fighters Caio Borralho, Jean Silva, and Mauricio Ruffy rack up impressive wins. However, Prates was their main protagonist.
Since making his debut in the welterweight division, Prates has been tearing through opponents. He had earned his UFC ticket by knocking out Mitch Ramirez on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023.
Prates took out Trevin Giles on debut, then crushed Charles Radtke with a nasty knee to the body. Next up was Li Jingliang. Prates became the first to knock Li out. Most recently, he made a statement by knocking out Neil Magny in the first round – his biggest win yet.
With four fights and four KOs in just nine months, Prates has quickly become a serious contender at 170 pounds. Edwards surely would have to bring his A game if the teased fight does take place.
