Carlos Prates has explained the true origin of his 'Nightmare' nickname, which many assumed came from his fighting style. The nickname actually dates back to a popular Brazilian children's show from the 2000s called 'Sítio do Picapau Amarelo' (Yellow Woodpecker's Farm). The show featured a character named Pesadelo, which translates to 'Nightmare,' who was not particularly attractive in appearance. Prates' friends thought he resembled this character and nicknamed him after it. The childhood nickname later transitioned perfectly from his personal life into his professional fighting profile, though Prates himself does not see the resemblance to the TV character.
Carlos Prates has opened up about the surprising backstory behind his "The Nightmare" nickname, revealing it has nothing to do with the damage he inflicts inside the octagon.
The Brazilian welterweight, currently ranked fifth in his division at 32 years old, explained that the moniker traces back to a beloved Brazilian children's television series from the 2000s called Sítio do Picapau Amarelo, known in English as Yellow Woodpecker's Farm. The show featured a character named Pesadelo — Portuguese for "Nightmare" — who was notably unattractive in appearance. Prates' friends decided the young fighter bore a resemblance to the character and the name stuck. Prates himself, for the record, disputes the comparison.
The nickname eventually made a seamless leap from schoolyard ribbing into professional fighting branding, fitting with a style that has earned Prates a 24-7 record competing out of Vale Top Team. Standing six-foot-one with a 78-inch reach, Prates has built his reputation as a striker, landing 3.77 significant strikes per minute at an accuracy rate of 55 percent — numbers that make the "Nightmare" label feel earned on fight night regardless of its origins.
Why it matters
- The story adds an unexpected human dimension to one of welterweight's more feared strikers, whose nickname was widely assumed to be a reference to his fighting style.
- Prates sits fifth in the welterweight rankings, meaning his public profile is under growing scrutiny as he pushes toward title contention.
- The contrast between the nickname's playful origin and his legitimate striking threat at 185 cm and a 198 cm reach makes for one of the more memorable fighter-lore stories in the division.
