Prater claims vacant title at PFC 13

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Pimental was one of three fighters to claim PFC gold on the evening. Carlo Prater (24-6-1) grabbed the vacant lightweight crown, while Pat Runez (2-0) earned the PFC's vacant flyweight title.

The three title fights were contested on the main card of PFC 13, which took place at the Tachi Palace Hotel & Casino in Lemoore, Calif.

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Earlier in the evening, six-and-a-half year veteran Prater put a halt to Dominique Robinson's (4-3) two-fight PFC win streak with a clear-cut unanimous decision win. The five-round battle left both fighters relatively unscathed, but Prater did enough to earn the PFC's vacant lightweight title in his first trip to the organization.

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In other notable action, after struggling to make weight at Thursday's weigh-ins (though eventually registering 144 pounds), WAMMA's No. 3-ranked female featherweight Erin Toughill (10-2-1) earned a unanimous decision over previously undefeated Emily Thompson (3-1).

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Toughill, Prater Earn Wins at PFC 13

Originally posted on Sherdog.com

WEC veteran Carlo Prater defeated Dominique Robinson for the vacant 155-pound strap. Prater earned scores of 49-46 on all three cards in a five-round bout that saw neither fighter take much damage.

Prater thanked the crowd and offered Robinson an immediate rematch.

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Erin Toughill used superior striking and an effective push kick to earn a unanimous decision win over an outmatched Emily Thompson. Thompson was game, but could not get any offense going against the American Gladiators’ star.

Click here to read the entire article at Sherdog.com

PFC 13 to Stream Live on Sherdog.com

Sherdog.com is pleased to offer a free live stream of TONIGHT’s Palace Fighting Championship card.

PFC 13
Friday, May 8, 2009
Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino
Lemoore, Calif.
Streaming live on Sherdog.com!

Doug Marshall vs. Jaime Jara
Casey Olson vs. Eddie Yagin
Leopoldo Serao vs. Phil Collins
Olaf Alfonso vs. Kyle Pimental
Dominique Robinson vs. Carlo Prater
Anthony Perales vs. Pat Runez
Poppies Martinez vs. Gabe Ruediger
Bryan Travers vs. John Gunderson
Marcelo Giudici vs. John Reedy
Scott McAfee vs. Bill Theofanopoulos
Cole Escovedo vs. Michael McDonald
Erin Toughill vs. Emily Thompson

Click here to read the entire article at Sherdog.com

PFC 13 to Stream Live on Sherdog.com

PFC 13
Friday, May 8, 2009
Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino
Lemoore, Calif.
Streaming live on Sherdog.com!

Doug Marshall vs. Jaime Jara
Casey Olson vs. Eddie Yagin
Leopoldo Serao vs. Phil Collins
Olaf Alfonso vs. Kyle Pimental
Dominique Robinson vs. Carlo Prater
Anthony Perales vs. Pat Runez
Poppies Martinez vs. Gabe Ruediger
Bryan Travers vs. John Gunderson
Marcelo Giudici vs. John Reedy
Scott McAfee vs. Bill Theofanopoulos
Cole Escovedo vs. Michael McDonald
Erin Toughill vs. Emily Thompson

Click here to read the entire article at Sherdog.com

PFC 13 Features Bouts for Three Vacant Titles

Originally posted on MMAweekly.com

If there is a theme for Palace Fighting Championship 13’s “Validation” fight card on Friday, May 8 at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif., it will be ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. bellowing “Fighting for the PFC World Vacant …”

Four titles will be on the line, as the PFC heads outdoors in what’s being touted as one of the hottest mixed martial arts cards of the year.

And three of the championship bouts are for vacant titles.

The vacant PFC World Middleweight title is on the line when Oakland, Calif.’s Leopoldo Serao (15-7) meets Merced, Calif.’s Phil Collins (7-4).

Oakland, Calif.’s Dominique Robinson (14-2-1) will meet Brasilia, Brazil’s Carlo Prater (23-6-1) for the vacant PFC World Lightweight strap.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAweekly.com

Dominique Robinson replaces UFC signee Brian Cobb in PFC 13 title fight versus Prater

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

Robinson takes on former WEC challenger Carlo Prater (23-6-1) for the now-vacant PFC lightweight title.

The bout is one of five title fights set for the card, which takes place at the Tachi Palace Hotel and Casino in Lemoore, Calif.

PFC Promoter Christian Printup confirmed the fight change on The Underground, a popular MMA forum.

........

Prater, a six-year MMA veteran, returns to competition for the first time since a WEC 35 TKO loss to top contender Brock Larson at in August. Prater will drop to lightweight for the May 8 fight, which will be his first in the PFC.

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

Cobb vs. Prater, Martinez vs. Ruediger among PFC 13 additions

Originally posted on MMAjunkie.com

A PFC lightweight title fight between champion Brian Cobb (15-4) and challenger Carlo Prater (23-6-1) along with a lightweight showdown between Poppies Martinez (16-5) and Gabe Ruediger (11-5) are among several fights added to "PFC 13: Validation."

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Prater is a seven-year veteran who has fought in organizations throughout the world. The Brazilian-native suffered a TKO defeat to Brock Larson in his most recent outing but holds career wins over Carlos Condit, Spencer Fisher, Anthony Lapsley, Thomas Schulte and Melvin Guillard, among others.

*Cobb has since signed with UFC leaving this fight in doubt*

Click here to read the entire article at MMAjunkie.com

House of Pain Interview with Carlo "Neo" Prater

Originally posted on HouseofPain.com

House of Pain is proud to bring you an inside look at the WEC's Carlo "Neo" Prater from Brazil. We are proud to have Carlo as one of our sponsored fighters. We thought the fans would enjoy hearing about his very interesting background and accomplishments as well as his every day training that makes him such a threat in the 170 pound weight division.

HOP: Carlo, you have quite an interesting story to tell, and we would love to help your fans and our readers become more familiar with you. Please share with us where you live and where you train, and also please tell us how you came to live where you do?

CARLO: I live in the Lago Norte district of Brasilia, the capital of Brazil. I lived here as a child and then later ended up graduating from high school here as well. It´s home.

HOP: A lot of our readers are familiar with you from your recent bouts with the WEC, but most of them are not as familiar with how you earned your way to the organization. Please tell the fans some of the shows in which you have fought and opponents you have faced on your way to being one of the fighters that has made it on to the bigger shows.

CARLO: I´ve fought AFC, IFC, FFC, MFC ,RFC, Renegades, Art of War, Raw Combat, Meca, Storm Samurai, UWC, WEC and others. Condit, Larsen, Noble, Wisniewki, Fickett are my losses. I feel I´ve fought really good guys up to this point in my career.

HOP: When you are in Brazil, who are some of the people that you have trained with, and when you are in the U.S., who are some of your training partners, and please give us one in particular from each location and tell us how training with that person most benefits your game.?

CARLO: In Brasilia, we have excellent MMA tradition. Vale Tudo fights have taken place in this part of the country since the late 60´s. There ar lots of hungry young lions roaming and training partners are abundant. I train Muay Thai with Kru Nilson Jr. from Bangkok Team. He is excellent pedigree pads and mitts trainer. Very high level guy. Ronildo Braga is good sparring for me. Very quick and unorthodox. Gugu and his boys out in Sobradinho help me get my rounds in at his Boxing gym. Gugu is a former pro-boxer himself and is very knowledgeable. Abel and Mauricio have excellent amateur records building. Jiu-Jitsu is my base and I started at white belt and am at brown with Julio Pudim and Sandro Bala, the Lima brothers, whom own an academy and live half the year in Portugal. Luta-Livre(Submission) and Vale-Tudo(MMA) training is done everyday at noon at RFT Brasilia. Marcão is an Eugenio Tadeu and Hugo Duarte Black Belt in Luta-Livre. We have been together since ´99, and he is a good coach/corner. Igor Pakato is my best spar over there. 170 with an iron chin.

HOP: You had a recent addition to your family last year. Please tell the fans a little bit about your pride and joy and how this event has changed your life and also your training schedule.

CARLO: My son was born May last year and it immediately changed me for the better. I have a lot more riding on me and the stakes are a lot higher. Motivational to say the least. Training gets smarter, more focused and intense. Rest and recovery as well.


HOP: Having fought all across the world, please give the readers one of your favorite places you have ever trained or fought, and if you have any interesting stories about it, please feel free to share them.

CARLO: I really liked fighting in Curitiba. I fought a Chuteboxer and everyone was rooting against us from RFT. After I won everyone was extremely friendly and respectful. I admire to this day the Chuteboxe camp.

Click here to read the entire article at houseofpain.com

FCF Radio features Carlo Prater, Anthony Johnson, Thomas Denny, Jake O'Brien, Reese Andy, and MORE

In this episode, Jeff "Wombat" Meszaros and Kelsey Mowatt run down the latest news in mixed martial arts. Then, Canadian wrecking machine Gary "Big Daddy" Goodridge stops by to talk about his recent fight in Affliction and his thoughts on Fedor Emelianenko. Brazilian Carlo Prater is also on the show to discuss his upcoming fight against Brock Larson in World Extreme Cagefighting.

Check out the interview at http://fcfradio.fcfighter.com/ (copy and paste the link)

Carlo Prater VS Brock Larson on Aug 3 WEC

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - by Damon Martin - MMAWeekly.com

The welterweight division in World Extreme Cagefighting continues to bolster itself as past opponents of current champion Carlos Condit will battle it out on Aug. 3 when the last two fighters he’s faced, Carlo Prater and Brock Larson, square off. The bout was confirmed to MMAWeekly.com by sources close to the fight on Tuesday.

Carlo Prater has long been thought of as one of the most underrated fighters in the sport, carrying an impressive record and an array of skills that have gained him much respect amongst fighters in the industry.

Debuting with the WEC in February, Prater looked to pick up his second win over Condit, having defeated him in 2004. The second go around did not go his way as Condit was able to submit Prater in the first round of their championship match-up.

Since the loss, Prater has taken two fights outside of the WEC, picking up unanimous decision wins over Marcelo Brito and, most recently, Garett Davis in June.

Now he returns to the promotion to face another top welterweight contender in Brock Larson, who is coming back after suffering a broken jaw in his last fight out against John Alessio in March 2008.

Larson received an illegal knee strike from Alessio as he was going for a takedown. Because Larson's knee was down at the time, Alessio’s strike was deemed illegal and because of the injury the fight was stopped and Larson was declared the winner by disqualification.

A melee ensued after the fight and since that time it’s no secret that there is little love lost between Larson and Alessio, but that grudge will have to wait for another day.

Now Larson looks to get back on track towards another shot at Condit, and his first blockade happens to be Prater.

The welterweight showdown will take place on Aug. 3 as a part of the WEC’s return to Las Vegas and the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino.

Loiseau and Prater Victorious at Raw Combat: Resurrection in Calgary

Raw Combat: Resurrection
By Steve Rowbotham (mmaCanada.net)

Mike Rowbotham vs. Mike Zvonick

They touch gloves and Zvonick bullrushes Rowbotham into the fence. They clinch for a bit, then Rowbotham puts Zvonick to the mat, but he pops up quickly. Zvonick throws connects with a nice overhand punch that sends Rowbotham backpedalling with Zvonick in pursuit still throwing bombs and connecting with some. Rowbotham is covering well and shoots for a double leg out of desperation but Zvonick sprawls and takes Rowbothams back, but Rowbotham is having none of it and spins into half guard, and eventually into guard. Zvonicks pace has slowed and as he postures up, Rowbo throws a leg over his shoulder and locks in a loose triangle, Zvonick slips the choke but falls right into an armbar and is forced to tap at 2:14 of Round 1.



Adam Farr vs. Dami Egbeyemi

Both guys come out aggressive throwing hard kicks and punches. Dami is landing kicks to the ribs of Farr and his side is RED, but Farr keeps on coming. The fight went three rounds, about 13 mins on the feet, and 2 mins on the mat. Dami had the better of Farr in both aspects and took a Unanimous decision.



Nathan Gunn vs. Max Dalsin

Dalsin is the hometown kid and has won his last two fights in dominating fashion. Gunn is a tough kid from Thunder Bay, ON. Gunn immediately takes the fight to Dalsin putting him on his back and dropping elbows on his face. Dalsin gives his back and Gunn locks in a fight ending rear naked choke at 4:02 of the first round. Impressive win by Gunn.



Kurt Southern vs. Charlie Zac

I didnt know much about either fighter going into the event. After some feeling out, Southern shoots in on Zac and slams him hard to the canvas. Zac is deducted a point for elbows to the back of the head. The fight restarts with Southern on top and he starts dropping bombs, one of which hits Zac in the eye and he verbally submits and immediately runs from the cage. Southern wins by verbal submission at 1:57 of round 1.



Len Tam vs. Chris Desaultels (LFC Featherweight Title)

Desaultels has a huge reach advantage and he comes out pumping his jab very effectively before taking Tam to the mat. Tam seizing opportunity locks up an Omoplata for the win at 3:00 of round 1.


Kajan Johnson vs. Douglas Evans

Both fighters come out aggressive throwing punches and kicks. Head kicks miss for both fighters and they clinch against the cage for a while. Evans scores a takedown but doesnt do a lot with it. The round ends. Good round. 10-9 Evans
The second round begins and Kajan comes in like a bat out of hell and rocks Evans putting him to the ground. He works for Evans back and locks up a rear naked choke at 0:57 of round 2. Big win for Kajan!


Carlo Prater vs. Garett Davis

They clinch against the cage for the entire first round. Seriously. 10-9 Prater for control. Round two sees much of the same but Prater is unloading with standing elbows on Davis. 10-9 Prater. Round 3 both fighters come out swinging, but again Prater gets the better of davis and earns the Unanimous decision.



Bibiano Fernandes vs. Juan Barrantes

Bibiano is a 5 time world BJJ champion, and Barrantes is a jitz fighter with lower credentials, and as much as I love Juan, it showed. First round, Bibiano puts Juan down and unloads a barrage of elbows cutting Juan's head open in like 4 different spots. He dominates the remainder of the round with grappling but Juan defends well. Round 2 Juan drops Bibiano but he recovers well and spends the next two rounds putting on a grappling clinic on Juan, but again, Juan defends, and Bibiano easily earns a Unanimous Decision.



Travis Galbraith vs. Martin Desilets

Very intense staredown that ends with Desilets shoving Galbraith. They come out swinging and they end up clinching against the cage. They seperate and Galbraith is throwing bombs! He catches Desilets in a standing guillotine but Martin works out of it and takes Galbraith to the mat. Galbraith locks onto a triangle choke forcing Martin to tap at 4:14 of round 1.


David Loiseau vs. Andrew Buckland

Both fighters touch gloves and back away. Buckland lands a nice leg kick before being FLOORED by a Loiseau right hand. He gets up to his hand and knees and another shot puts him back out. The official time is 0:20 of round 1. Impressive win by Loiseau.



Dan Hornbuckle vs. Nabil Khatib (Raw Combat Welterweight Title)

Nornbuckle puts Nabil on the matt early and works for submissions. Nabil shows good defense, but eventually Hornbuckle finds the rear naked choke at 3:58 of round 1. Impressive win by Hornbuckle.

The Pav Says... Travel for work sucks

Originally Posted by Ken Pavia [ken-pavia] on MMAjunkie on Apr 21, 2008 at 9:07 am in

- News -

So I have been racking up the frequent flyer miles as I have been on the road for 12 consecutive weekends without a break in sight. I refuse to be outworked.

This month has me back and forth to the East Coast four times -- Ottawa for Hardcore Fighting Championship, Atlantic City for YAMMA, Montreal for UFC 83, and Virginia for the Ultimate Warrior Challenge. There were actually three events in one week, which meant Ottawa, Denver (UFC Fight Night 13), and Fresno (ShoXC) with stops home between each.

What does this all mean? Well you become acquainted with unique facts during layovers and stops. In the spirit of enlightenment, I shall share.

Vitamin Water, which is sold in every airport gift shop, should be called sugar water. It has 13 carbs, but there are 2.5 servings per bottle. Hudson News is filled with rags that tell a story of 416 kids who were taken from a polygamist cult filled with women all wearing the same dress that I can't believe anyone would ever have sex with. Oh, and airport chairs are designed with "uncomfortable" being the controlling concept. Let's see: hard plastic? Check. Short backs that don't support? Check. Molded arms so you can't lie down? Check.

Being on the road, not only do you get to spend extended time with clients and prospective clients, but you also get to meet the people behind the scenes. In the spirit of honoring the non-fighters, I would like to give awards to the people that make the show go on. So without further ado…

The Vampire Award
Tracy Lee from www.Combatbatlifestyle.com does not sleep. Because she attends an event to take pictures every weekend too, we occasionally share a room and help each other out. It is not uncommon for her to go with cameras in tow to eat with one fighter and crew, meet another crew for a party, and see a third for the after-party. She returns to download pictures to websites and rushes out to breakfast. A couple of times she has dozed with her laptop on her lap for 15 minutes, but she never sleeps.

Honorable mention goes to Scott Coker, promoter for Strikeforce, who I can expect a call from between 12 and 3 A.M. five days a week, Josh Gross from Sherdog.com, who answers up to about 2 a.m, and MMA Junkie and Performify, who are also seemingly always at work.

Most Likely to Whack Your Hamstring Award
Dude is like 10-foot something, but Mask from TapOut is coming down low. It is his term of endearment and trademark greeting. If you don't get it on the hammy, he either doesn't know you well or doesn't like you.

Best Dressed Award
Bruce Buffer is just put together well. His nails are always done, hair is never out of place, and in his most casual moments, he is still polished, even at breakfast. On a side note, if you have heard stories about him helping fighters out of difficult situations, they are true. Good guy.

The honorable mention here breaks the rules and goes to fighters. It a world filled with Affliction, TapOut, One More Round, etc., it is rare to see someone suit up at the events. I think it is a cultural thing where in Canada growing up, you had to dress up going to your hockey games, but many of the Canadian fighters have carried the tradition over. Dave Loiseau, Mark Hominick, Sam Stout and Chris Hordecki immediately come to mind. You have to give it up for Tito Ortiz, too, who has shed his Punishment ringside attire and has got Jenna-ed and now dons custom suits.

Pimp Award
This one is delicate because you can never be sure who has a wife back home, and you don't like to out anyone, but the obvious choice is Eddie Bravo. For all his metroness, The Twister pulls tail. He seems to have one in every port. There will be no honorable mention here, but if you see me at an after party, ask. The stories are aplenty.

Biggest Balls Award
This one goes to Keith Crawford of Hardcore Championship Fighting. After a recent event, an undefeated heavyweight prospect tasted a loss for the first time. He asked matchmaker Crawford what he thought of his performance and got a brutally honest answer. Offended by the answer, the fighter had his manager call Crawford and challenge him to a fight. Without blinking, Crawford, who while in seemingly good shape (but just south of 50 years old), accepted. Stay tuned for the results of this story.

Honorable mention goes to Dana White for being Dana White, and Bas Rutten walking the walk and having a presence in the lobbies.

Bling Award
This award goes to Jarred "Skala" Shaw. Dude is always wearing bling, whether it's earrings, watches or necklaces. Many promoters use angles. Don King had the hair, and Skala has the bling. Don't let the demeanor fool you, though; the kid does his homework and knows fighters.

Most Friends Award
Every organization should have a Bert Watson like the UFC has. Bert is like the stage manager for ever aspect of the event. If you need a room, a ride, or directions to anything, Bert is your guy. At show time he is the one who tells you where you are supposed to be when. Because he is seemingly doing everyone favors all the time, everyone (me included) feels indebt to him. He does his job with a big smile and always has a warm greeting. He is one of the reasons everything runs so smoothly. He is also great for an old-school story at the hotel bar. He worked with Smokin' Joe Fraser back in the day and is filled with tales.

Honorable mention goes to Bert's right hand man Lester, Greg Jackson who everyone likes, and the TapOut crew.

Most Likely to Be Working a Lobby Award
OK, I am not eligible. I live in lobbies in part because I like to make myself accessible but also because I enjoy the interaction and staying as topical as possible. The person I see the most is a competitor, Matt Stansell of North County Fight Club. Make no mistake www.MMAagents.com is the best option and the second-best option for management, but NCFC does a good job for its clients, and all those guys work hard.

Honorable mention goes to all the staff at ProElite Inc., notably JD Penn, JT Steele, Rich Chou, Skala, Jeremy Lappen and Gary Shaw. They are always holding court in the lobbies and are accessible.

Closer Award
Let's divide this up into hard close and soft close. If Dave Houshair from HCF fighting wants a fighter, he gets him. He is blunt, to the point, relentless and is not afraid to step up. The flip side is that you need to be careful when negotiating with Rich Chou of ProElite. He "bros out," and before you know it, a deal is done.

Montreal...

Wow what an event. More than 20,000 people showed up, and they broke the Bell Centre, home of the Montreal Canadians, record for beer sales in a night. They were lined up for blocks for hours to get into the arena. The first event in Ohio was pretty amazing as was the electricity in the arena for Tito Ortiz vs. Chuck Liddell II, Randy Couture vs. Tim Sylvia, and Phil Baroni vs. Frank Shamrock. This event ranked right up there, especially when Georges St. Pierre walked out. Personally there was an even bigger moment for me that was overshadowed.

Jonathan Goulet is French Canadian from the Montreal area and had fought 21 of his 30 fights in Canada. He grew up in the shadows of the Bell Centere. When I signed Goulet, his dream was to get back to the UFC. He then dreamed to fight in his hometown on the biggest stage Canada had ever seen. Some might say it is home field advantage; I call it enormous pressure. Just to add to the pressure, he was chosen to start the event as the first fight of the night. The kid was so cool it was like he had ice in his veins. Even when he got clipped on the button with a left hook and dropped with a minute to go in the first round, he never panicked. There was no way he was able to hear us in the corner with the crowd noise, so we will chalk up his hip movement, scrambling, and intelligent defense to instinct. The referee was close to stopping the fight, but The Road Warrior survived.

In the second round Jonathan found his range and caught Kuniyoshi Hironaka. Mind you his opponent owns victories over IFL belt-holder Ryan Shultz, Churuto, Nick Diaz and Forrest Petz. Goulet calmly pursued and was able to do what Jon Fitch was unable to do: finish Hironaka. Goulet will remember April 19, 2008, for the rest of his life. His grandkids will tell the story to their friends at school. Of course the $75,000 bonus for Fight of the Night will make it that much more memorable.

Virginia...

There is a new game in town, and its name is the Ultimate Warrior Challenge. Marcello Foran and John Lewis have put a very formidable card together, which includes MMAagents.com clients Aaron Riley, Carlo Prater and Zack Light. The event is at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., this Saturday. If you are in the area, come to the event, introduce yourself and I will give you a code for a 20 percent discount for www.MMA-locker.com.

Ken Pavia runs MMAAgents.com, one of MMA's biggest sports agencies and one that represents approximately 50 MMA fighters. "The Pav" is an MMAjunkie.com contributor who gives a behind-the-scenes look at an MMA agent's career representing some of the sport's biggest stars. He can be found on MySpace at www.myspace.com/kenpavia. His views do not necessarily reflect those of MMAjunkie.com and its staff.

De Ja Vu? Carlo Prater Expects the Same Against Carlos Condit

Submitted by:Arias Garcia Jr.
Originally Posted on : 1/24/2008 on ADCC News


Carlo Prater is probably one of the most deserving fighters not to get a chance to compete in one of the big shows. He has seen many fighters, even some that he has beaten, get a shot in the UFC and Pride, but he waited. The wait is now over. On Wednesday, February 13th, 2008, Prater will face the World Extreme Cagefighting Welterweight Champion, Carlos Condit in Albuquerque, New Mexico. From getting nothing to getting the biggest fight in his career, Prater could have his career sky rocket with a victory over Condit, a fighter he defeated years ago. Will the rematch have the same result? Here is what Prater told ADCC News in this Q&A.


ADCC: Carlo in the last two years, you have only fought three times. Why haven’t you been more active lately? CARLO: Great question. I had a fight left with the MFC and it was supposed to be against (Eddie) Alvarez for their title but I ended up fighting Derrick Noble. I trained in Brasilia, very well for the fight, however the last training session before leaving for Atlantic City, I rolled my ankle, spraining it pretty badly and just wasn't able to fight well at all on those conditions. That’s not an excuse, however, Derrick beat me fair and square. When I got back to Brasilia, I decided to take some time off to rehab and physical therapy my ankle. I lifted and gained weight, and waited for another fight. That only came at the end of 2006 in Curitiba at Storm Samurai, then in February of 2007 I fought in Art of War, and then in September of 2007, I fought in Art of War. I was only able to get these fights offered to me and that’s why I fought so little.


ADCC: You talked about training in Brazil. How has the move back home? CARLO: I was really homesick and the timing was right for me to go back. My dad was recovering from cancer and I wanted to be with my longtime girlfriend again, I just missed it you know? I am really glad I went back. The whole city is behind me. I have a fun healthy lifestyle there and I have great friends, family, trainers and training partners. Now my son was born and that’s really is where I believe I will stay.


ADCC: Who are you currently training with now and are there any fighters you brining to the camp to help you? CARLO: In Brasilia I train with RFT Luta Livre, currently a brown belt, Banni Club Jiu-Jitsu, I am a Brown belt there, Miura Judo, I am a Black belt there, RKT Kickboxing squad, Bangkok Team Muay Thai, Gugu and his boxers out in Sobradinho. In Houston I train at the Metro Fight Club with Saul Soliz as my trainer. My sparring partners are Yves Edwards, Melvin Guillard, Lee King, Rocky Long, Todd Moore and some others. I've got a very well rounded crew of people to constantly push me.


ADCC: You have defeated fighters like UFC veterans Spencer Fisher, Keith Wisniewski and Melvin Guillard and also battled fighters like Drew Fickett and Derrick Noble. How hard was it for you to watch those guys fight in big events when you didn’t get the call yet? CARLO: All those guys are warriors and they deserved their shots. This is my shot and I am concentrating on it.


ADCC: Well you made it to the big show and your going to have a huge opportunity when you take on Carlos Condit for the WEC Welterweight Title on February 13, 2008. How excited are you and do you think Carlos asked for this fight to rematch you? CARLO: I am very excited and really looking forward to this tremendous opportunity. I don’t know if he asked for this rematch, but I would imagine so.


ADCC: Talk about your first fight with him and how you both have changed since then.
CARLO: Our first fight was in Albuquerque at his trainer, Tom Vaughn's show called Fightworld. It was a short fight, I won. I have seen him become a lot more focused as a fighter, and his skills have come along as well. I have had to mature a lot as well, and pick up new techniques and skills to better myself as well.


ADCC: How much of it is an advantage to you that you have one victory over him? CARLO: I wouldn't even mention it as an advantage. It's a different night and a different fight as well.


ADCC: Will this fight have the same result as the first? CARLO: For Sure! I am doing everything I can to prepare for victory.


ADCC: Before we let you go, you mentioned the birth of your son. Congratulations and how much sleep have you gotten since the birth? CARLO: Thank you very much! There is nothing like it. The first couple of months my sleep was affected but since August or so, he literally sleeps like a baby!


ADCC: Well thanks for your time Carlo and good luck against Condit. Do you have anything to say to your fans or sponsors? CARLO: To my fans, thank you for your support and interest, I will fight with all of my soul. Thanks to Elite Fight Gear, House of Pain, Pitbull Mortgage School, Gamma-O, Starz MouthGuards, Forcefield, Fight Time Fitness www.muaythai.com.br, and www.mmaagents.com. Thank you Arias.

WEC Announces Full Card for Feb. 13 Event

Originally Posted by MMA Junkie on January 16, 2008 at 9:58 am ET

World Extreme Cagefighting has announced the full fight card for its Feb. 13 event, which features a total of three title fights.

“WEC: Condit vs. Prater” takes place at the Santa Ana Star Center in Albuquerque, N.M., and airs live on the Versus network beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Local fighter and WEC welterweight champ Carlos Condit headlines the event against challenger Carlo Prater. Lightweight champion Rob McCullough and bantamweight title-holder Chase Beebe are also booked for the event and will defend their titles.

Zuffa LLC, the UFC’s parent company, purchased the WEC more than a year ago to be run as a sister organization. Since the ownership change, seven WEC shows have taken place — all at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. The Albuquerque show will be the first outside Sin City since Zuffa’s involvement.

The full card for WEC 32 includes:

Champ Carlos Condit vs. Carlo Prater (for welterweight title)
Champ Rob McCullough vs. Jamie Varner (for lightweight title)
Champ Chase Beebe vs. Miguel Torres (for bantamweight title)
Mark Hominick vs. Josh Grispi
Antonio Banuelos vs. Manny Tapia
Scott Jorgensen vs. Jesse Moreng
Yoshiro Maeda vs. Charlie Valencia
Leonard Garcia vs. Hiroyuki Takaya
Chance Farrar vs. Micah Miller
Del Hawkins vs. Ox Wheeler

MMA Agents signs six new fighters!

MMAagents is proud to announce the addition of six elite athletes to our current roster of fighters. With the addition of Renato “Babalu” Sobral, Cyrille “Snake” Diabate, James “Colossus” Thompson, Carlo Prater, Carmelo “The Fury” Marerro and Todd Moore, the MMAagents roster grows to 47 fighters, including 37 current or former Zuffa and Pride fighters.

A nine time UFC veteran, Renato “Babalu” Sobral holds noteable wins over Mauricio “Shogun” Rua”, Trevor Prangley, Jeremy Horn, Maurice Smith, Travis Wuiff, Chael Sonnen, and most recently David Heath. Never one to back down from a challenge, or shy away from an opponent, Babalu was recently granted free agency status and seeks to bring his heavy hands and ground game to an organization where he can pursue a title opportunity. A native of Brazil, Babalu has a US work visa, but is also interested in fighting abroad in the 205 weight class.

Cyrille “Snake” Diabate is a highly decorated, Muay Thai world champion who has shown slick ground skills in recent fights as well. Snake is a Pride veteran who answered the call to fight Shogun and gave him everything he could handle. At 6’6” he is an imposing figure for anyone that is matched up against him in the 205 weight class. Look for Diabate to bring his game and vicious stand-up skills to the US in the near future.

A look in the Wikipedia under “imposing figure” may well turn up a picture of former debt collector James “Colossus” Thompson. Colossus sported a 5-2 record in Pride and has notable wins over Dan Severn, Hidehiko Yoshida, and Don Frye. At 6’5” and a jacked 260lbs of intensity, Thompson always brings it from the opening bell, and is not afraid to stand and bang. Colossus has moved from his native England to Las Vegas where he has rededicated himself to train at Extreme Couture. Look for appearances on the domestic as well as international stages.

With a 21-4-1 record and notable wins over Melvin Guillard (first round sub), Spencer Fisher, Carlos Condit (first round sub), and Thomas Schulte, Carlo Prater may be the best Welterweight that the mainstream fans have never heard of. However, with his eyes set on a title shot in the near future Carlo Prater will soon be a household name among the MMA community. Carlo splits his time training in Brazil and Texas and has dual citizenship. Look for him to challenge for a belt in an organization that dares to expose their champ. Put simply, Prater is a bad bad man.

Who handed Chieck Kongo his only loss in five fights in the UFC? That would be Carmelo “The Fury” Marrero. Bringing a solid wrestling base and improved striking skills to the cage, a three time UFC veteran, “The Fury” just relocated to Florida where he is now taking his game to a new level at American Top Team. With a new found team to match his unparalleled dedication, drive, and willingness to sacrifice, look for Marerro to make his mark in the Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight divisions.

The question of just how good is Todd Moore will soon be answered. Todd brings his unblemished 9-0 record out of Texas were he fights under the watchful eye of trainer to multiple World Champions Sol Soliz. He now looks to test his skill on the national level in the 170 division. Todd is an exciting well rounded fighter but prefers to stand and trade giving the crowd what they pay to see. Don’t doubt Todd Moore, nine guys have already made that mistake. Look for Todd in his WEC debut December 9th.

Also look for the grand opening of the new MMAagents.com website due to open October 3st.

MMAagents is a full service sports agency specializing in the representation of Mixed Martial Artists.
Please contact us at the addresses listed below with any further questions or inquiries about these fighters or any of our other clients.


Contacts
Ken Pavia
KenPavia@MMAagents.com
GT Torres
GT@MMAagents.com
Nate Brodnax
Nate@MMAagents.com