Carlos Prates explains smoking despite coaches warning him, reveals number of cigarettes he needs daily: "I tried to stop one time"
Carlos Prates recently admitted to smoking cigarettes daily, disregarding his coaches' repeated warnings against the habit. The Brazilian has occasionally been spotted puffing on a cigarette in social media posts. He previously shared that, despite actively competing, smoking before and after a fight has become a personal tradition for him.
During an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, 'The Nightmare' was questioned about the volume of cigarettes he smokes each day and whether his coaches push back on the habit, given the health risks involved. He replied:
"Bro, maybe eight per day, 10, 11... Before, they [coaches] told me a lot [to stop smoking], you know, but now [they've stopped doing it]."
Prates further said that he once attempted to quit smoking for a week, but the withdrawal took a toll on his body due to his addiction:
"I tried to stop one time, and then I was one week without smoking. I gained five kilos in six days because I ate a lot and didn't go to the gym to train."
The Dana White's Contender Series alum secured one of the most significant victories of his career with a first-round knockout of Neil Magny in the main event at UFC Vegas 100 last week. 'The Nightmare' revealed that he had a cigarette just before heading to the UFC Apex for his fight.
Check out Carlos Prates' comments below (11:52):
With his victory on Saturday night, Prates raised his overall record to 21-6. He is now riding an impressive 10-fight knockout streak, four of which have come inside the octagon.
When Carlos Prates shared how he first got introduced to smoking
During his appearance on Show Me The Money in June, Carlos Prates revealed that he began smoking in his early teens, but his habit intensified significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic, fueled by the lack of training:
"I think I started to smoke when I was 12 or 13. Not like today, of course. But after the pandemic, you know, everything stopped, the training stopped, the fights stopped, and I was smoking weed a lot, and that would bring bad feelings… And then I started only smoking cigarettes."
'The Nightmare' explained that he was first introduced to cigarettes when his mother left for work, spending those moments alone and gradually picking up the habit:
"I remember like I was on the street all day. My mom goes out for work, and my family is only me and my mom. And then I was on the street all day after [I] came back [from] school. And then, you know, here in Brazil, if you’re living on the street with your friends, you’re gonna learn a lot of bad things."
Check out Carlos Prates' comments below (32:48):