Carlos Prates revealed he had been writing motivational messages on his bathroom mirror for months leading up to his fight with Jack Della Maddalena. The messages included affirmations like "I will knock out JDM," "I will beat JDM," and "I will become champion." Prates stated that the fight actually began several months before Saturday night, emphasizing that the outcome had been written long before the actual bout took place. This insight into his mental preparation shows the dedication and visualization work Prates put into achieving his knockout victory. The post provides a glimpse into the psychological preparation that contributed to his impressive performance.
Carlos Prates has revealed that his knockout of Jack Della Maddalena was the product of months of deliberate mental conditioning, including daily affirmations he wrote on his bathroom mirror in the lead-up to the fight.
Prates disclosed that the messages included phrases such as "I will knock out JDM," "I will beat JDM," and "I will become champion." The Brazilian fighter emphasized that the contest truly began long before the two men stepped inside the cage on Saturday night, framing the outcome as something he had effectively scripted through consistent visualization work.
Prates, 32, competes at welterweight out of Vale Top Team and carries a record of 24-7. Known as "The Nightmare," the six-foot-one Brazilian boasts a 78-inch reach and fights out of a switch stance. He lands significant strikes at a rate of 3.77 per minute with a striking accuracy of 55 percent, a figure that reflects a disciplined and selective approach on the feet.
Della Maddalena, 29, entered the bout ranked fourth in the welterweight division and 13th on the pound-for-pound list, making him one of the more decorated opponents Prates has faced. The Australian, who trains out of Scrappy MMA, holds an 18-4 record and was averaging an impressive 5.57 significant strikes per minute with 51 percent accuracy. At five-foot-eleven with a 73-inch reach, he operates out of a switch stance as well.
Why it matters
- Prates climbs the welterweight rankings after defeating a top-five opponent in Della Maddalena
- The result keeps Prates in contention for a title shot, with his mirror affirmations referencing championship ambitions directly
- Both fighters share a switch-stance, high-output striking style, making the mental edge Prates described a potentially decisive factor in how the bout unfolded
