Carlos Prates is choosing to avoid a public back-and-forth with Ian Machado Garry as they approach their headline fight at UFC Kansas City on April 26. However, he isn`t letting Garry`s verbal jabs go completely unnoticed.
Garry used social media to mock Prates about a previous defeat in China where Prates stopped fighting, labeling the Brazilian as a “quitter” and questioning his “true fighting spirit”.
“We anticipated such behavior,” Prates commented regarding Garry’s insults. “It’s typical of him. He probably has a lot of spare time. I don’t, to be honest. I’m constantly training, managing my responsibilities, doing interviews, and concentrating on the fight. But this is all part of the game. He`s trying to promote the fight, increase his profile, and generate hype. I think that’s also important, it’s part of the business, as I mentioned in my video response. I find it all quite interesting.”
Prates, who earned $50,000 bonuses for each of his four UFC knockouts against notable opponents in 2024, believes Garry will ultimately be thankful to him following their main event encounter.
“We’ll see what happens after the fight,” Prates stated. “We have [nine] days remaining until the fight, [nine] days before the cage door closes and the talking stops. We’ll handle things as they should be. And I assure you, he will be thanking me internally. Deep down, he knows I accepted this fight. I gave him the main event opportunity.”
“He’s been in the UFC for four years, if I remember correctly, and has never been the main attraction,” Prates added. “He’s only received one bonus, poor guy. And now he has the chance to headline, an opportunity to earn more. Firstly, because he accepted this fight on short notice likely due to a significant financial offer. And secondly, he’s in the main event. After this fight, even though he might face a defeat, he’ll thank me for the chance I gave him to make good money.”
While Prates consistently aims for knockouts in the octagon, he’s not taking Garry’s words personally to fuel extra aggression.
“I don’t want to beat him any more intensely; it doesn’t bother me,” Prates explained. “I intend to go out there and win in my usual manner. I’m not someone who thinks, ‘Oh, I must hurt this guy.’ No. He has commitments the next day. This is business, it’s about money. I’m being paid to fight and win, and I want to win in a way that’s rewarding, a way that earns me a bonus, and that’s my focus.”
Regarding the MMA fight Garry referenced, Prates clarified that he was not in optimal condition due to inadequate preparation.
“I was in very poor shape,” Prates admitted. “I spent a month in China, had two kickboxing matches, and then fought in MMA. I had also sustained a significant eye poke previously. I wasn`t in fighting shape. I was in China for a month, not training properly, dealing with the cold, cutting weight, and not eating adequately because I couldn`t train effectively. But that’s the past. It happens. On the 26th, the situation will be drastically different from what he observed in that video.”
