While preparing for his upcoming fight against Ian Machado Garry at UFC Kansas City, Carlos Prates received a particularly meaningful message through social media that caught his attention.
The message was sent by a devoted fan named Randy, who is currently undergoing treatment for esophageal cancer. As a side effect of his medical care, Randy has been losing his hair. He reached out to the popular Brazilian fighter and asked if Prates would be willing to shave his head after arriving in Randy`s local area. Prates was more than happy to agree and fulfill this special request upon landing in Missouri earlier this week.
Sharing his thoughts on the emotional meeting, Prates commented, “This week, he is truly teaching me valuable lessons. Sometimes, we really need moments like this to learn. We often complain so much about even the smallest issues in our lives, but here is a man who has received a terminal cancer diagnosis, and he messaged me simply asking for me to shave his head because I am his favorite fighter. It truly makes you realize that our own problems are minor in comparison. This man is here, standing strong; he came to meet me and stated clearly that he will not give up. I believe that is the most important life lesson we can take away from this – never give up, just like he is fiercely fighting this very difficult disease.”
Prates also added a note of hope: “But I am completely confident he will be okay. He will get better, and I sincerely hope that in a few months, I can come back here and see him doing well.”
Keeping the promise he made, Prates proceeded to shave Randy`s head. After this touching act, he also generously gifted Randy an authentic pair of Fighting Nerds glasses.
The entire experience clearly brought significant happiness to Randy, who had the opportunity to spend precious time with Carlos Prates just before the welterweight competitor is set to compete in the main event this Saturday in Kansas City.
