Carlos Prates drew a sharp contrast between Brazilian fighters and their American and Caucasian counterparts when it comes to trash talk, arguing that Brazilians are raised with a street code that makes crossing personal lines genuinely dangerous. Prates called out Khamzat Chimaev's comments toward Sean Strickland about his father, calling the remark out of bounds. He also referenced remarks made by Calib Hokit toward Bo Nickal, saying he would have thrown a chair himself, and recalled Colby Covington's comments about Ian Garry's wife as another example of a line he believes fighters in Brazil would never cross without serious consequences.
Carlos Prates has spoken out against what he sees as a pattern of trash talk that crosses personal boundaries, drawing a cultural line between Brazilian fighters and their American and Caucasian counterparts in how far they are willing to go with verbal attacks.
The Brazilian fighter framed his argument around a street code he says is instilled early in Brazil, where certain personal remarks carry genuine real-world consequences rather than functioning purely as promotional noise. Prates argued that fighters raised in that environment understand where the line is — and what crossing it means.
Central to his comments was a shot directed at middleweight number-one contender Khamzat Chimaev. The 32-year-old Borz, who carries a 15-1 record and trains out of Allstars Training Center, made comments directed at middleweight champion Sean Strickland referencing Strickland's father. Prates called that remark out of bounds. Strickland, 35, holds a 31-7-0 record and stands as the current middleweight titleholder out of Xtreme Couture.
Prates also referenced comments made by Calib Hokit toward Bo Nickal, saying he personally would have thrown a chair in that situation. Nickal, the 30-year-old American Top Team product who carries a 9-1 record and leads the UFC in takedowns at 3.1 per fifteen minutes, was the target of remarks Prates viewed as similarly out of line. Additionally, Prates brought up Colby Covington's past comments about Ian Garry's wife as another example of the kind of personal attack he believes would never go unanswered in a Brazilian combat sports environment.
Why it matters
- Chimaev sits ranked first in the middleweight division and tenth in the pound-for-pound rankings, making the tension between him and champion Strickland significant beyond social media
- The remarks add a cultural dimension to an already heated divisional rivalry at 185 pounds
- Prates's comments reflect a broader conversation within MMA about where promotional trash talk ends and genuine disrespect begins
