A longtime MMA fighter and UFC staple has called out Carlos Prates for a showdown inside the Octagon. The fighter in question is often praised by fans and experts alike for his excellent striking prowess.
UFC Staple Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson Calls Out KO Artist Carlos Prates
On SiriusXM’s “MMA Today” hosted by RJ Clifford, two-time UFC welterweight title challenger Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson recently indicated that he’d love to fight Carlos Prates next. The consensus is that the 42-year-old American, who has just two fights left on his UFC contract, is approaching the end of his MMA career.
Thompson implied that he’d like to return to his winning ways in his remaining UFC fights. In response to the suggestion that a possible fight between him and Prates would be amazing, he stated, “I think so too. I mean, two strikers. It will be a striking extravaganza if you will. Because [Prates’ previous opponent] Ian Garry, he’s good, the grappling is good, the wrestling — we are good at it to try to keep the fight standing.”
Predicting that their possible MMA clash would primarily be contested in the striking realm, he added, “Me and Prates, we want the fight to stay standing. We want to see how the best striker is in the UFC. I think that would be an amazing fight as well. I’m all for it, to be honest with you.”
Clifford seemed to jestingly suggest that Thompson — who’s known for his respectful demeanor and generally steers clear of trash talk against his opponents — is known for his stinging trash-talking prowess. He then requested that “Wonderboy” issue a call-out to Prates.
Thompson proceeded to call out Prates, alluding to the Brazilian fighter’s penchant for smoking. He said, “Prates, Carlos, will you please?” He laughed and continued, “Will you please sign the contract? You know what I’m saying? Just sign the contract. Get out there. Let’s have some fun. Let’s put on a show. Let’s punch each other in the face and go have a beer afterwards. Maybe a few cigarettes on your part.”
"This is how Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson says it."@WonderboyMMA breaks out his most unfiltered trash talk to call for a fight with Carlos Prates😂
Source: MMA Today w/@RJcliffordMMA pic.twitter.com/dbkpStUP56
— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) April 28, 2025
Thompson is a karateka and a former kickboxer, who’s widely regarded as one of the most skillful and dynamic strikers to have ever competed in the sport of MMA. His most recent fight witnessed him suffer a knockout defeat at the hands of Joaquin Buckley in Oct. 2024. He’s currently on a two-fight skid in the UFC and has lost four of his past five Octagon appearances.
Neither Thompson nor Prates’ respective next fights have been officially announced, and it’s unclear as to whether the UFC would book them against each other next. Prates, a member of Brazil’s Fighting Nerds gym, made waves with knockout victories over fighters like Li Jingliang and Neil Magny. However, his 11-fight win streak ended in his latest fight, a unanimous decision defeat against Ian Machado Garry on April 26, 2025.