LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 08: Carlos Prates of Brazil poses on the dimensions throughout the UFC Struggle Evening weigh-in at UFC APEX on November 08, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Final Saturday, the UFC held a Struggle Evening on the Apex for a centesimal time and it was an pleasant card. It had fairly a number of finishes and even the fights that went the gap have been entertaining.
In the primary occasion, Carlos Prates continued to take the game by storm, recording his fourth knockout victory of the 12 months. In the meantime within the co-main, UFC newcomer Reinier de Ridder submitted Gerald Meerschaert in what was a enjoyable debut.
Carlos Prates
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 09: (L-R) Neil Magny battles Carlos Prates of Brazil in a welterweight struggle throughout the UFC Struggle Evening occasion at UFC APEX on November 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
After already recording three KOs by August, Carlos Prates saved his exercise ranges going and bought his greatest one but on Saturday. For years, Neil Magny has represented an ideal litmus check for welterweight prospects. At all times hovering across the quantity 15 spot, he has gatekept the rankings for what looks like endlessly. In recent times, fighters like Shavkat Rakhmonov and Michael Morales handed this check with flying colors, whereas then-streaking Max Griffin, Daniel Rodriguez, Phil Rowe and Mike Malott couldn’t.
This was the kind of matchup that followers wanted to see Prates undergo to actually gauge what the division had in him. At 31 years of age, there was no must take issues too slowly with him, so a major occasion with a rankings spot on the road made sense, even in his rookie 12 months. And the Nightmare made fast work of Magny. He defended all seven takedown makes an attempt, even turning one into his personal takedown. He dropped Magny with a brief proper hook, earlier than then placing him unconscious with a glancing left straight with ten seconds left within the very first spherical.
After his spectacular exhibiting, Prates referred to as for a struggle with Jack Della Maddalena in Australia in February. Whereas that’s the sort of matchup that might have followers foaming on the mouth, he knew this could be unrealistic as JDM is ranked within the top5. So he had a pleasant backup plan in Geoff Neal, who for all intents and functions, holds a Neil Magny-type position for the top10. This callout proves that Prates is making an effort to know how matchmaking works and to remain updated along with his division’s energy construction. It’s a enjoyable matchup, and life like callouts must be rewarded as typically as potential. For these causes, I’m inclined to provide Prates what he requested for and provides him Geoff Neal subsequent.
Prates’ subsequent struggle: Geoff Neal
Reinier de Ridder
Reinier de Ridder, UFC Vegas 100 media day
The previous two-division champion in ONE Championship had an entertaining debut, going up towards grizzled vet Gerald Meerschaert. He scored a knockdown in spherical 1 and bought the submission in spherical 3 after GM3 seemed exhausted.
Along with his pedigree as a former double champ in one other main group, some thought RDR can be getting a ranked opponent instantly. At 34 years outdated, it’s not like The Dutch Knight has on a regular basis on the planet to stand up the ranks. Nevertheless, he didn’t precisely run via Meerschaert in a manner that screamed a top10 opponent needs to be subsequent.
There’s a center floor, right here, the place RDR can get a excessive profile, but unranked matchup in his subsequent struggle. This upcoming Saturday, there’s a struggle between uber prospect Bo Nickal and veteran Paul Craig. Nickal is a large favorite, however it’s unclear as as to whether he can be getting a ranked opponent subsequent even after an announcement win at UFC 309. In contrast to de Ridder, the UFC really has loads of time to take issues slowly with Nickal. RDR is each the logical subsequent step to check Nickal’s grappling and a pleasant alternative for Nickal to showcase any type of placing enchancment since that isn’t actually de Ridder’s forte.
And hey, if Paul Craig really wins that struggle, then we nonetheless get a brilliant enjoyable matchup.
de Ridder’s subsequent struggle: Nickal/Craig winner
Gaston Bolaños
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 09: (R-L) Gaston Bolanos of Peru kicks Cortavious Romious in a bantamweight struggle throughout the UFC Struggle Evening occasion at UFC APEX on November 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
The previous Bellator fighter moved to 2-1 within the UFC after incomes a hard-fought choice over debuting Cortavious Romious. His grappling was examined, as he was slammed a pair instances, however he managed to fend off each submission try.
Bolaños doesn’t appear to be somebody who will ever problem for a title, particularly not in a division crammed with sharks like bantamweight. Nevertheless, he does slot in a vital class of fighters that ship thrilling fights each time they go on the market. Win or lose, and so long as they match him up accurately, the UFC can rely on Bolaños to placed on enjoyable fights.
One other fighter who matches completely into this class is one who made his divisional debut simply final week: Charles Jourdain. With each coming off wins and having fought only a week aside, the struggle is sensible and the timelines ought to align.
Bolaños’ subsequent struggle: Charles Jourdain
Gillian Robertson
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 09: (R-L) Gillian Robertson of Canada kicks Luana Pinheiro of Brazil in a strawweight struggle throughout the UFC Struggle Evening occasion at UFC APEX on November 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Regardless of already having 18 UFC fights and holding the file for many submissions at flyweight, Robertson continues to be solely 29 years outdated. She is now on a three-fight win streak and is 4-1 since dropping right down to strawweight.
After she is going to transfer up a bit within the rankings, a struggle that is sensible for her can be Marina Rodriguez. After being so near a title shot, the 37-year-old is now 1-4 in her final 5 and has dropped all the way in which to quantity 9. Nevertheless, there isn’t a doubt that she continues to be a superb check for anyone. Her present two-fight skid is deceiving as each are cut up selections that very a lot might have gone her manner.
Rodriguez is the right check for Robertson at this juncture of their careers.
Robertson’s subsequent struggle: Marina Rodriguez
Mansur Abdul-Malik
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – NOVEMBER 09: (L-R) Mansur Abdul-Malik punches Dusko Todorovic of Montenegro in a middleweight struggle throughout the UFC Struggle Evening occasion at UFC APEX on November 09, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photograph by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
The undefeated 27-year-old made brief work of Dusko Todorovic, knocking him out within the first spherical to maintain his 100% end fee. Abdul-Malik clearly packs a heavy punch. The whole lot he landed on Todorovic echoed within the Apex. He nonetheless seems inexperienced in some aspects of his sport, however appears to be getting higher rapidly as he already seemed improved from his Contender Sequence outing.
There is no such thing as a rush right here for a prospect this younger and somebody like TUF finalist Robert Valentin would make sense. Valentin can check Abdul-Malik’s general sport whereas additionally being a really winnable struggle for Mansur. Additionally, there isn’t a manner that struggle can be boring.
Abdul-Malik’s subsequent struggle: Robert Valentin
