Prediction: Carlos Prates VS Leon Edwards 2025-11-15
Leon Edwards vs. Carlos Prates: A Clash of Redemption and Redemption
UFC 322 Preview: The Odds, the Drama, and the Brazilian Deadpoolâs Quest for a Knockout
Letâs cut to the chase: Leon Edwards is a former welterweight champion whoâs currently stuck in a career-sized pothole. After a 12-fight winning streak that made him the king of the 170-pound hill, Edwards took a detour into the âAlso Ransâ section with consecutive losses to Belal Muhammad and Sean Brady. Meanwhile, Carlos Pratesâthe âBrazilian Deadpoolâ with a flair for the theatricalâhas been sharpening his knives. The odds? Prates is a -188 favorite, implying a 65% chance to win, while Edwards (+152) carries the underdog label. The total rounds line (Over/Under 2.5) suggests this could be a war of attrition⌠or a one-punch party. Letâs break it down.
The Numbers Game: Why Prates Has the Edge
Prates isnât just a nickname; itâs a threat. The Brazilian has earned every one of his five UFC wins with bonuses, including a first-round KO of Geoff Neal that looked like a physics experiment gone wrong. Edwards, meanwhile, has struggled against southpaws (5-1 record), and Pratesâ muay thai-based closed stance? Itâs like a puzzle piece designed to exploit that weakness. Edwardsâ counter-striking is elite, but Pratesâ aggressionâpaired with his ability to finishâmakes him a ticking time bomb.
The implied probabilities donât lie: Prates is favored by a 26% margin across bookmakers. Thatâs not just public sentiment; itâs a calculated bet on Pratesâ ability to capitalize on Edwardsâ recent vulnerability. And letâs not forget the ceremonial weigh-in, where Prates and Edwards traded glares like a MMA The Glimmer Twins reunion. If you thought the stare-down was intense, wait until Round 2.
Injury Report: No Major Hiccups, But Edwardsâ Streak is a Wound
No major injuries here, but Edwardsâ psyche is the real concern. Two losses in a row? Thatâs like burning your hand on a stove twiceâyour brain should remember, but your body still reaches for the coffee. Prates, on the other hand, has bounced back from a loss to Ian Machado Garry with a Neal KO, proving heâs a fighter who thrives on momentum. His strategy? âHit hard, hit fast, and make Leon Edwardsâ comeback story end with a capital âK.O.ââ
The Humor: Deadpool vs. The âAlmost Championâ
Letâs be real: Prates isnât just a fighter; heâs a character. The âBrazilian Deadpoolâ moniker isnât just marketingâitâs a promise of chaos. Imagine Prates in a Deadpool movie: âIâd tell you my fighting style, but this mask doesnât do subtitles.â Edwards, meanwhile, is like a smartphone with a cracked screenâstill functional, but everyone knows itâs not the same.
And the southpaw vs. southpaw matchup? Itâs like two left-handed people trying to open a jar of pickles. Edwards has beaten southpaws before, but Pratesâ muay thai background gives him the upper hand in a dance where both fighters are âleftyâ but Prates is the one with the sharper elbows.
Prediction: Prates Ends the Streak, and the Drama
The numbers, the style, and the sheer audacity of Prates all point to one conclusion: Carlos Prates will stop Leon Edwards in Round 2. Edwardsâ counter-striking will keep this close early, but Pratesâ power and aggression will wear him down. The odds favor Prates, and the Over/Under of 2.5 rounds? Bet on the Over.
In the end, this fight is less about whoâs the better fighter and more about whoâs the hungrier one. Prates isnât just chasing a winâheâs chasing history. Edwards? Heâs chasing relevance. One of them will find it. The other will be the star of a very short Netflix documentary titled Comeback: The Last Chapter.
Final Verdict: Carlos Prates by KO, Round 2. The Brazilian Deadpool doesnât just make historyâhe writes it in blood.
Created: Nov. 15, 2025, 9:52 p.m. GMT