UFC 322: Carlos Prates questions Leon Edwards credentials and claims former UFC champion no longer has the "heart" to compete

Carlos Prates believes Leon Edwards is "done" and has cast doubt on whether the former welterweight champion still has the heart to compete ahead of their showdown at Madison Square Garden. The 34-year-old Briton is looking to bounce back after consecutive defeats to Sean Brady and Belal Muhammad. Watch UFC 322 live on TNT Sports 1 in the early hours of Sunday morning - coverage starts at 3am.

Carlos Prates believes Leon Edwards is "done" and has questioned whether the former UFC champion still has the heart to compete on the eve of their battle at Madison Square Garden.

Edwards will face welterweight rival Prates at UFC 322 in the early hours of Sunday - live on TNT Sports and discovery+ - aiming to return to winning ways after suffering defeat at the hands of Sean Brady and Belal Muhammad - the first consecutive losses of his career.

The 34-year-old Briton enters as a slight underdog, with the Brazilian even criticising Edwards’ mindset.

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"He's done - you cannot teach heart," Prates bullishly preached. "If you give up one time, you will give up always. When things get hard, he starts to give up.

"He doesn't do too many things to try and change the game. I want to see how he can fight with somebody who really tries to hurt him."

Leon Edwards has a hard task on his hands on Saturday night

Image credit: Getty Images

Prates, 32, has predicted a knockout in the fight, though Edwards has only once been stopped in his career - against Brady at UFC London.

He was submitted in the fourth round, with Brady ending the contest with a guillotine choke having out-grappled his opponent through the bout.

Prates remains confident he can do likewise, saying: "I'm really good at knocking people out in the first round, and for the first time in UFC. You know, when I fought Li Jingliang [in August 2024], he never lost by knockout, and I knocked him out.

"With Geoff Neal, it was the same, and on Saturday night, I'm going to knock him out and get my title shot."

"It's entertainment," Prates added when asked why he deserves his title fight.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

"People pay tickets, pay-per-view, to see blood, to see knockouts, the type of entertainment that I bring. I don't try to grab someone for 25 minutes. I fight, I give a show, so I think because of that, I'm going to be next in line.

"I bring the entertainment that people like. That's what I bring to the table."

When asked if he would rather face Jack Della Maddalena or Islam Makhachev next - should he defeat Edwards - Prates continued: "I'm ready for both of them, but facing Islam would be amazing.

"You're talking about a guy that would be a double champion, so the legacy is bigger, and I'd be very grateful to be able to beat him."

Edwards and Prates met face-to-face at Thursday’s press conference, with the Englishman firing back at his opponent’s criticism.

‘Accepting it for what it is’ - Edwards on moving on from defeat and looking ahead at UFC 322

Video credit: TNT Sports

"He ain't done nothing in the sport at all. On Saturday night, I get to prove my case," Edwards said.

"I'm going in there to dominate. I feel like Carlos has fought no one yet of my calibre, and Saturday night you'll see that."

The face-off passed without incident, and Edwards is already plotting his return to a UFC title. He has a three-fight plan - a win over Prates, a bout at UFC London in March, and potentially a title shot in the summer of 2026.

Having faced experienced grapplers in Brady, Belal Muhammad, and Colby Covington over his past three fights, Edwards is anticipating a stand-up battle with Prates, who boasts 17 knockouts in 22 wins.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

"He's the first striker I've fought for four years, I think. It's exciting," he said.

"When you fight a striker, you can flow a bit more. It's a good opponent to get back to where I left off.

"He's all right. Skill for skill, I'm the better fighter, the better athlete. I will remind him of who I am."

UFC 322 is headlined by two title fights, with Makhachev moving up to welterweight to challenge champion Della Maddalena.

In the co-main, Valentina Shevchenko defends her flyweight crown against fellow pound-for-pound star Zhang Weili, who is also stepping up a weight class to pursue a two-division UFC title.

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UFC 322 fight card

Main card

• Jack Della Maddalena v Islam Makhachev
• Valentina Shevchenko v Zhang Weili
• Sean Brady v Michael Morales
• Leon Edwards v Carlos Prates
• Beneil Dariush v Benoit Saint-Denis

Preliminary card

• Bo Nickal v Rodolfo Vieira
• Roman Kopylov v Gregory Rodrigues
• Erin Blanchfield v Tracy Cortez
• Malcolm Wellmaker v Cody Haddon

Early preliminary card

• Kyle Daukaus v Gerald Meerschaert
• Pat Sabatini v Chepe Mariscal
• Angela Hill v Fatima Kline
• Baisangur Susurkaev v Eric McConico

How to watch UFC 322 in the UK

UFC 322 is live on TNT Sports 1.

The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports and entertainment in one destination.

You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media.

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