UFC Perth doesn't have Carlos Prates feeling like 'enemy territory'
· Yahoo Sports
In normal circumstances, Jack Della Maddalena probably could've expected a big mental edge this week.
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In the UFC Fight Night 275 headliner in Perth, Western Australia, Maddalena (18-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) definitely will have his home fans backing him. And even though they'll likely let Carlos Prates (23-7 MMA, 6-1 UFC) know he's not at home, he might not actually feel that outnumbered.
Prates has plenty of connection with Australia. His daughter lives in Sydney with her mother, so he said he frequently visits. And this week, he brought his mother from Brazil to see her granddaughter, as well.
"To be honest, I don't feel like enemy territory," Prates said at Thursday's pre-fight news conference in Perth. "Australia is my second home. My daughter is Australian, so I'm feeling really good here. I like Australia.
"Of course, I understand Perth is his hometown. People have to support him you. But it's not personal – just business. I'm feeling good. I don't think too much about the crowd and things like that. All the people are asking me during the week, but in the end when the octagon doors close, it's just going to be me and Jack."
Della Maddalena might feel some pressure, though. He's got the home fight to contend with, and he's also trying to bounce back from his title loss to Islam Makhachev, who moved up from lightweight to become a two-division champ.
A win for Maddalena could conceivably make him next in line for a shot to recapture the belt. But Prates has two wins since his lone UFC loss to Ian Machado Garry a year ago – both bonus-winning knockouts. And he thinks he'll tee up his own title shot, finally, with a win.
"(I have to) focus all the time," Prates said. "He's a dangerous guy, good hands, so I need to keep my focus all the time for 25 minutes. (I need to) focus on him, focus on the fight, and do my best, get the win, and get my title shot."
And that's his goal, regardless of where the fight's taking place or who's in the stands watching.
"It's always good to be close to my family," Prates said. "I grew up without my father. So for me, it's always important, the time with my daughter, especially with my family, my mom. This time, a lot of friends came with me, my training partners. It's really important for me. But I don't think too much about that. Inside the cage, it's just me and Jack. The motivation is always really high no matter what, no matter who is close or who's watching."
Check out the full UFC Perth pre-fight news conference above.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Perth doesn't have Carlos Prates feeling like 'enemy territory'