Dana White Left Waiting as UFC Prospect’s Desperate Promise on Contender Series Goes Undelivered

Carlos Prates recently made his way back into the winning column after a thunderous finish win at UFC 319. He became the first fighter to knock out veteran Geoff Neal in the UFC, which he did with an impressive spinning back elbow in the opening round of their bout. But before celebrating his win with a cigarette, Prates decided to put in a word for one of his teammates to Dana White.

Things have been really sketchy for the Fighting Nerds lately, as Mauricio Ruffy and Caio Borralho both lost their fights at UFC Paris. This has now made fans question the hype surrounding the São Paulo-based team, with even some veterans entering the conversation. However, Carlos Prates seems pretty confident that his teammate, Marcos Degli, who fights under the Legacy Fighting Alliance banner, will impress Dana White. The one problem? He’s yet to sign him.

Carlos Prates claims the deal with Dana White has yet to go through

During a recent interview with Ariel Helwani on the veteran journalist’s self-titled show, Carlos Prates revealed that Dana White actually considered his plea and even offered his teammate a chance to compete in the Contender Series. However, certain legal issues, especially the inability to get a visa, have foiled those plans. “[He’s] not yet [signed by the UFC]. They asked him to fight [in the] Contender Series [on] September 2, but he didn’t get a visa yet. So, he didn’t fight,” Prates said on Helwani’s YouTube channel. But then again, Carlos Prates did not miss the opportunity to tell the fans what his teammate is all about.

He revealed that Marcos Degli is on the younger side, in his early 20s, and has already won a championship in his current promotion. Claiming that he currently sits on a double-digit winning streak, Prates added, “Marcos Degli. He’s the best pound-for-pound in Brazil, LFA flyweight champ. 11 [fight] winning streak, 25 years old, the most ugly guy in the gym. He’s a young guy.”

Carlos Prates likely won’t stop talking about his teammate until he gets signed, as appears from the interview. He seems to be pretty high on confidence about his teammate faring well in the UFC, and for that, Marcos Degli is grateful. Prates’s teammate shared a message thanking him for supporting his dreams.

Prates receives a heartwarming message from his teammate

Getting to the UFC is every MMA fighter’s dream, and it is the same for Marcos Degli. So when Carlos Prates called out Dana White to talk about him and his credibility to become a UFC fighter, his teammate was overjoyed and almost in disbelief. It was one of the most important moments in his MMA career, as signing with the promotion will certainly change his life for the better, and for that, Degli is thankful to his UFC star teammate.

“What a moment, happiness that doesn’t fit in the chest, [UFC] it’s the MMA world cup, and hearing my name being said by my brother [Carlos Prates] to the boss [CEO Dana White] in Chicago is chilling,” Prates’s teammate wrote in an Instagram post. “Thanks for giving me this my bro.”

Well, it appears that the only route for Carlos Prates’s teammate to the UFC is through Dana White’s Contender Series. Currently, Marcos Degli has 13 wins at the expense of 3 losses, and has yet to lose a fight since March 2022. It remains to be seen if he can get his visa issues sorted out, but in the meantime, let us know what you think about Prates’s teammate. Do you think the CEO will sign him? Drop your comments below.