Carlos Prates' fighting nickname 'The Nightmare' has an unexpected origin story unrelated to his fighting style. In the 2000s, a popular Brazilian children's show called 'Sítio do Picapau Amarelo' featured a character named Pesadelo, which translates to 'Nightmare.' Prates' friends believed he resembled this character and nicknamed him accordingly. The nickname later became a perfect fit for his professional fighting career. Despite the friends' comparison, the author notes they personally see no physical resemblance between Prates and the television character.
Long before Carlos Prates was stopping opponents in the UFC welterweight division, a Brazilian children's television character was quietly setting the stage for his fighting identity.
Prates, ranked fifth in the welterweight division at 32 years old, carries the nickname "The Nightmare" — a moniker that has nothing to do with his finishing ability or aggressive style. The origin traces back to the 2000s and a beloved Brazilian children's program called "Sítio do Picapau Amarelo," which featured a character named Pesadelo, the Portuguese word for "Nightmare." Friends of the young Prates decided he bore a resemblance to the character and the name stuck. It would later prove an eerily appropriate fit for a fighter who has gone on to cause serious problems for welterweights at the highest level.
The Brazilian fighter out of Vale Top Team now carries a professional record of 24-7-0, standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach. His striking numbers reflect the danger he brings to the octagon — he lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 55 percent, figures that put him among the more efficient and prolific strikers in the 170-pound weight class. He fights out of a switch stance, adding an additional layer of difficulty for opponents trying to read his attack.
Why it matters
- The backstory adds an unusual human-interest dimension to one of welterweight's rising names
- Prates' ranking at fifth in the division means his nickname carries genuine weight in a competitive 170-pound landscape
- The disconnect between a children's TV character and a finishing-oriented UFC contender makes for one of the more memorable nickname origin stories in the sport
For the record, the source who surfaced the story noted they personally see no physical resemblance between Prates and the cartoon character his friends had in mind all those years ago.
