New York, NY — Carlos Prates became the first man to knock out former UFC welterweight champ Leon Edwards on Saturday, making a statement at UFC 322 in New York City.
Then, he petitioned UFC CEO and President Dana White for a shot at gold.
“I talked with Dana, ‘where’s my title shot?’ Of course we have the rankings, I know we have some guys in front of me in the rankings, but it’s business. It’s entertainment,” Prates (23-7) told media outlets including Cageside Press following the fight. “Like I said, I bring the kind of entertainment people want to see.”
Prates had hopes of facing off with the winner of Jack Della Maddalena vs. Islam Makhachev, though not surprisingly, that didn’t happen. For one, the UFC is tepid on in-cage face-offs. For another, Prates is spot on about others being ahead of him, including Michael Morales, who improved to 19-0 immediately after Prates earned his win over Edwards.
Still, it’s clear Prates is in the mix at 170lbs, a division that includes a fresh crop of faces for new champ Makhachev. Along with Morales and Prates, there’s Ian Machado Garry and Shavkat Rakhmonov. In his post-fight press conference appearance, Prates addressed Morales in particular, having just seen the Ecuadorian finish Sean Brady.
“Michael is really good, he’s young, he’s a really strong guy,” Prates admitted. “But I think I’m still more entertaining than him, and I think it’s my time.”
Still, he’s open to facing Morales if need be. Either as champ, or to get to a title fight.
“I can fight him whenever the UFC wants. Of course I want to fight for the belt, but if the UFC says ‘you need to fight Michael, you guys need to fight like a semifinal and go to the belt,’ okay. Let’s go, let’s fight.”
Watch the full UFC 322 post-fight press conference with Carlos Prates above.
