MMA events and post-fight brawls these days rarely fail to make headlines. It all started with McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov, which set a new benchmark for post-fight chaos. Since then, fighters like Sean Strickland have often turned such incidents into fan spectacles. Then, last month at UFC 322, Dillon Danis once again found himself in a clash with Islam Makhachev’s team, bringing back memories of the mayhem at UFC 229.

Now, a UFC 322 fighter has made headlines, but this time more than 4,000 miles away from the U.S., in Turkey. Ranked No. 6 contender Carlos Prates defeated Leon Edwards last month at UFC 322 inside Madison Square Garden and so decided to take a break with a vacation in Türkiye. However, things did not go as planned.

While attending the regional MMA promotion ‘Kroc’ at the Kroc’s Core CFC event, a fighter inside the cage tried to provoke ‘ The Nightmare’ on Instagram, and he nearly got into a brawl.

“That guy gave up the fight and said he couldn’t fight because of an easy illegal kick, and 1 min after got mad with me and tried to fight me. Luck security didn’t let us fight, peace of s—. Stop giving up when you start winning and getting tired, bro,” Carlos Prates wrote on his Instagram story, explaining the incident.

Although no fight actually broke out, security quickly stepped in, pulling the regional fighter aside and holding back Carlos Prates as they escorted him out of the venue. Prates appeared heavily intoxicated, as his Instagram stories suggested, which sparked further discussion among fans after the video went viral.

The cage, the chaos and the cigarettes

Carlos Prates didn’t just enjoy a vacation in Turkey; he also went there to support his teammate from the Phuket Fight Club, who competed in a regional Turkish MMA event. Even on foreign soil, Prates didn’t hold back. As a core member of the Fighting Nerds, known for their lethal knockout power, he made his presence felt. A fan commented on a viral X post, “Prates knocks all those guys out.”

Inside the cage, the fighter and a few teammates tried to intimidate Carlos Prates. However, as an international welterweight competitor, ‘The Nightmare’ maintains a 70% finish rate, a sentiment echoed by another fan who wrote, “Headshot youuuuuuuu. Carlos Prates is a crazy m*r! Sponsored by Marlboro.”

Despite being a top-level athlete, Carlos Prates smokes 8 to 15 cigarettes a day, even on fight days, often taking his last smoke just before entering the arena. Even newly minted welterweight kingpin Islam Makhachev expressed surprise that he still performs at such a high level. “I’m surprised, this guy smokes all day and still wins,” said Makhachev at the UFC 322 post-fight press conference.

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Carlos Prates boasts a 23-7-0 UFC record, knocking out every opponent, making him one of the biggest threats to Islam Makhachev’s reign. At the Turkish MMA event, no brawl broke out, unlike the chaos when Sean Strickland attacked a fighter months ago. One fan even asked, “Does anyone have self-control anymore?” As another fans seemed ready for a fight, another disappointed fan chimed in, “Who is bro holding back?”

Meanwhile, fans noticed Prates’ eyes in his Instagram stories and suggested he might have been intoxicated while cheering with his teammate. One fan wrote, “Man, he was super drunk,” while another added, “Bro is drunk as f*ck.”

Whatever sparked the near-scuffle, one thing is certain: the Turkish MMA scene is finally getting the spotlight it deserves, thanks in large part to UFC fighter Carlos Prates.