UFC welterweight contender Carlos Prates once said to UFC, “UFC doesn’t dazzle me. I’m grateful that life took me to the world’s greatest organization, but if that hadn’t happened, I would still be living, and I would still be a happy man.” ‘The Nightmare’ is as laid back as they come, but inside the Octagon, he’s as terrifying as they come. And this man is truly an anomaly—a physical specimen. Why? Because he’s a heavy smoker, and puffs a cigarette even before going out there and putting his opponents to sleep.

Yes, he is a chain smoker, and once said to Full Violence that he smokes 10 to 15 cigarettes a day. And while we’ve seen that it doesn’t (yet) affect his ability to fight, how does it impact his weight cuts? Well, James Lynch got the answer from Prates as he gets ready to fight Ian Machado Garry on short-notice.

Dana White announced recently that Prates will face Ian Machado Garry in the fresh UFC Kansas City headliner on April 26th. Ahead of his bout, the Fighting Nerds team member opened up to James Lynch about his habit and how it affects his making weight. As per Home of Fight, Prates told Lynch that he generally only cuts around eight pounds to make the welterweight limit, but now things are different because he has a new plan with his nutritionist. Lynch asked about his love for cigarette smoking, “I gotta ask you, smoke cigarettes? Does that make the weight cut easier, cause you don’t have as much of an appetite?”

‘The Nightmare’ said, “Bro, to be honest, no, because before in my last fight with Neil Magny I was my weight was like 81,82, like just 4 kg to cut to go to my weight class. After the last fight, I talked with my nutritionist and I said, Bro, let’s get a little bit stronger That time I was 90 kg, and then I would be cutting my weight. It will be 30 kg. But I’m good, you know I’m cutting my weight well. I’ve got to be a little bit stronger.”

Prates loves smoking so much that he takes a puff even before making the walk to the cage on the event day. When he was asked in a vlog by Full Violence how many cigarettes he smokes in a day, the number was astounding. “Normal day? Maybe 10, 15 cigarettes,” Prates replied. However, with the new regime thanks to his nutritionist, he’s on a healthier regimen, walking around at 198 lbs in a bit to bulk up to be stronger for his next fight. 

Is UFC Kansas City a big opportunity for Carlos Prates?

A high-profile gate got canceled when Jamahal Hill withdrew from his fight against Khalil Rountree Jr. due to a leg injury. So what is the next best matchup? Carlos Prates vs  Ian Garry, it seems. This twist of fate for Pirates will have him debut his first headliner against ‘The Future’ who is coming off a loss against Shavkat Rakhmonov. So it’s an important fight for both the combatants, and this one is guaranteed to be an electrifying bout.

Meanwhile, Machado Garry doubled down on the upcoming fight and said that he was excited for the matchup. He posted on Instagram, stating, “’Right, it’s official. You’ve got a new main event. Kansas City, Missouri, me vs. Carlos Prates, April 26th. I’m excited. Why? The UFC goes, ‘Ah, we need someone. Who do we need? Who do we call?’ You call me. Why? Because I’m a real fighter who wants to fight the best in the world. I’m going to show everybody how good I am. Carlos Prates is awesome, but this is my world.”

What do you think of Carlos Prates’ habit? Are you surprised at how he’s able to perform despite this habit? How do you think he’ll perform against Ian Garry at UFC Kansas? Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below.