The bright lights of Madison Square Garden might not be the only ones Tracy Cortez and Carlos Prates see this week. Days before UFC 322, the two fighters traded the Octagon for the red carpet, appearing together at the Landman premiere in New York City. Flashbulbs, interviews, and all eyes on them; it was a side of fight week that is rarely seen. However, not everyone was impressed.

While Cortez and Prates looked calm and confident, fans saw something quite different… a distraction. With both scheduled for career-defining battles on November 15, the timing felt off to many. As the spotlight followed them throughout the event, social media soon flipped the script: the elegance of the red carpet, several fans warned, may be the calm before the storm inside the cage.

Fans predict disaster for Tracy Cortez and Carlos Prates

“Both lose their next fights,” one fan bluntly wrote. The criticism didn’t stop there; Tracy Cortez, who meets Erin Blanchfield in a highly anticipated rematch, became the focus of some skeptical takes. “Jeez, Tracy has been looking rough lately,” commented another. “Blanchfield not losing to Tracy, lmao.” It wasn’t hatred so much as frustration; fans have seen this pattern before: a fighter who gets caught up in hype week, only to stumble under pressure.

Carlos Prates was not spared, either. His fight against Leon Edwards is being billed as a major test for ‘The Nightmare,’ but fans aren’t buying into his Hollywood moment. “Prates losing for sure, man. Man out here vacating!” one said, expressing the view that fighters belong in the gym, not on the red carpet. “This kid is going to red carpets while Leon is preparing for battle,” wrote another.

The tone was harsh, but it sprang from the same ruthless truth that governs MMA fandom: perception is everything, and right now, it appears that both Cortez and Prates are getting a bit too comfortable. Nonetheless, for every critic, there were those standing firmly in their corner.

“Both winning this week,” one fan predicted. “My babe Tracy gonna make me proud.” Another added, “Tracy looks jacked. Blanchfield is cooked.” Optimism was high among the loyalists, who think that confidence, not silence, wins wars. Walking the red carpet was more than a distraction for them; it was a declaration. In the end, the divide was as clear as it could be.

Some believe UFC 322’s brightest stars have already lost focus ahead of their bouts. Others believe they have just stepped into a bigger spotlight as a result of their rising status. And when the lights go out at Madison Square Garden, it won’t be the cameras or the critics that matter—just two fighters with everything to prove, both inside and outside the cage. However, it is worth noting that not just fans, but even some fellow fighters have cast doubt over the odds of winning at UFC 322.

Michael Page drops a brutal verdict on Carlos Prates’ fate

As the debates rage on between fans, even fighters are chiming in, and few have done so as sharply as Michael ‘Venom’ Page. Watching from a distance but speaking like a man who knows both sides of the cage, ‘MVP’ was blunt about Carlos Prates’ chances against Leon Edwards. While he praised the explosiveness of ‘The Nightmare’ and the flashy power that earned him a seat on the Madison Square Garden roster, behind his praise came the unmistakable tone of a man delivering a grim prediction.

“I feel like it’s leaning towards Leon,” Page remarked bluntly. His reasoning was straightforward: technique outperformed chaos. According to ‘Venom,’ Prates may have the wild energy, but ‘Rocky’ possesses the composure that differentiates a brawler from a champion. “There could always be a surprise spinning elbow, you know, a crazy kick that Prates has the ability and the power to be able to pull off. But Leon is tough, man. He’s not a person that you’re gonna kill easy at all.”

The words hung heavy: respect for both, but belief in just one. For Carlos Prates, it’s not the verdict he’d want, especially from someone as respected and calculated as Michael Page. But that’s the harsh reality of a sport that prioritizes truth over optimism. Flash can steal the spotlight, but patience wins wars. And if MVP’s prediction is right, UFC 322 could be the night when hype meets hard reality.