UFC 336: Prates' coach doesn't believe Morales will make it to Round 3
Carlos Prates' coach Cristian Nogueira predicts an early win in the interim title fight against Michael Morales. Alex Pereira is also full of praise for his compatriot.
Symbolic image · Photo: Adam Bishop / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Cristian Nogueira, head of Vale Top Team and Carlos Prates' coach since Prates was 11, expects an early finish. Prates will beat Michael Morales “somewhere between the middle and the end of the second round,” he told Sherdog. The two meet for the interim welterweight title at UFC 336 on January 30, 2027, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto – Prates (24-7) against the unbeaten Morales (19-0).
The booking surprised the camp: “It came as a surprise to us because we thought we would fight Makhachev first and then Morales,” Nogueira said. Morales “tends to leave himself very exposed because he goes all-in.” If Makhachev hopes to study Prates over five rounds, he will be disappointed: “This fight won't make it to the third round.”
Prates also has the backing of Alex Pereira. On the Connect Cast podcast, the Brazilian named him his favourite compatriot to watch: “I like knockouts, you know? Prates, in particular—he's the man!” If Prates is fighting, he only misses it when he is otherwise occupied.