His professional MMA debut took place in 2012, but his early career had a rocky start. Over his first nine fights, he faced several challenges, finishing with a 5-4 record. These setbacks were partly attributed to his competing in an unsuitable weight class and a lack of discipline in his training regimen. Eventually, Prates honed his skills and found his stride, particularly after an extended stay in Thailand, where he gained valuable experience in Muay Thai. Prates fought extensively in the Asian MMA scene, participating in events like China’s Chin Woo Men and Thailand’s
Full Metal Dojo. He also joined ONE Championship’s Warrior Series in 2019, where he gained recognition with wins against fighters such as Gunther Kalunda. Prates compiled a record of 15-6 from 2012 to 2023 before being invited to
Dana White's Contender Series.
Ultimate Fighting Championship Prates made his debut on February 10, 2024 at
UFC Fight Night: Hermansson vs. Pyfer against
Trevin Giles. Prates won via KO in the second round. This earned him a
Performance of the Night bonus. Prates later fought at
UFC on ESPN: Cannonier vs. Imavov against Charles Radtke, where he won via a knee to the body in the first round. This gave him another
Performance of the Night bonus. Prates made his
pay-per-view debut at
UFC 305 on August 18, 2024 against
Li Jingliang. He won via a left hook knockout after dropping Jingliang twice, being the first to knockout Jingliang. This earned him his third consecutive
Performance of the Night bonus. Prates had his first main event on
UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates against veteran
Neil Magny. Prates defended all 7 of Magny's takedowns and dropped him twice, winning by knockout 4 minutes and 50 seconds into the first round. This earned Prates his fourth consecutive
Performance of the Night award. Prates was scheduled to face
Geoff Neal on April 12, 2025 at
UFC 314. However, Neal withdrew from the fight for unknown reasons and the bout was subsequently cancelled. Prates faced
Ian Machado Garry on April 26, 2025 in the main event at
UFC on ESPN 66. He lost the fight by unanimous decision. The bout between Prates and Neal was re-scheduled and eventually took place on August 16, 2025 at
UFC 319. He won the fight via knockout in round one. This earned Prates his fifth
Performance of the Night award. Prates faced former
UFC Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards on November 15, 2025 at
UFC 322. He won the fight by knockout in the second round. This fight earned him another
Performance of the Night award. Prates is scheduled to face former
UFC Welterweight Champion Jack Della Maddalena on May 2, 2026 in the main event at
UFC Fight Night 275. == Personal life ==