Carlos Prates' nickname 'The Nightmare' did not originate from his fighting style as commonly believed, but from a childhood television show. In the 2000s, a popular Brazilian children's program called 'Sítio do Picapau Amarelo' featured a character named Pesadelo, which translates to 'Nightmare.' Prates' friends thought he resembled this character and gave him the nickname, which later transitioned perfectly into his fighting career. The post notes that while friends saw the resemblance, the author does not see any similarity between Prates and the TV character.
Long before Carlos Prates was stopping opponents in the UFC welterweight division, a group of Brazilian kids decided he looked like a cartoon villain — and the name stuck.
Prates, known to fight fans worldwide as "The Nightmare," actually earned that moniker not through his destructive performances inside the cage but through a childhood resemblance to a character from the beloved Brazilian children's television program "Sítio do Picapau Amarelo." The long-running show, popular in Brazil during the 2000s, featured a character named Pesadelo — Portuguese for "Nightmare" — and Prates' friends felt the likeness was too strong to ignore. The nickname followed him out of childhood and eventually found a second life as a fighting alias, one that has proven fitting given what he has become as a professional.
The 32-year-old Brazilian now competes as the fifth-ranked welterweight in the UFC, representing Vale Top Team with a professional record of 24-7-0. Standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, Prates brings a switch-stance striking game that has translated well at the highest level. He lands 3.77 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 55 percent, making him one of the more efficient and dangerous strikers in a loaded 170-pound division.
Why it matters
- The story adds a rare human detail behind one of the UFC welterweight division's more recognizable nicknames
- Prates ranks fifth at 170 pounds, meaning his name and brand carry genuine divisional weight
- The origin highlights how Brazilian pop culture quietly shaped a fighter known globally for his stand-up aggression
- According to the original account, even the person sharing the story admits they cannot see the resemblance to the cartoon character
