Carlos Prates cemented his place among the Top 10 at welterweight by destroying Geoff Neal at UFC 319 earlier this month in Chicago, then called for a quick turnaround at UFC Rio against striking sensation Michael Page, who also prevailed on the “Windy City” fight card.
“MVP” was more than happy to answer the call for the promotion’s Oct. 11 lineup in Brazil.
Matchmakers had other ideas, instead booking Prates to fight former welterweight champion, Leon Edwards, for the upcoming UFC 322 pay-per-view
(PPV) card on Nov. 15 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The cigarette-smoking “Nightmare” (22-7) has won five of six under the UFC banner with four knockouts. As for Edwards (22-5, 1 NC), he’s looking to snap a two-fight skid and retain his spot in the division Top 5.
“Rocky” is two years older than Prates at 34.
UFC 322 will be headlined by the 170-pound title fight pitting newly-crowned welterweight champion, Jack Della Maddalena, opposite former lightweight kingpin, Islam Makhachev. Elsewhere on the card, Valentina Shevchenko defends her 125-pound strap against former 115-pound titleholder, Zhang Weili.
Makhachev and Weili are the current UFC 322 betting favorites.
