Carlos Prates, UFC Vegas 100 Media Day Credit score: UFC
Carlos Prates was trying to lock his spot as ‘Rookie of the Year’ within the UFC Vegas 100 fundamental occasion towards Neil Magny. Being 3-0 since getting into the promotion, this combat represented a possibility for The Nightmare to enter the rankings as Magny held the quantity 15 spot at 170 kilos.
Prates‘ takedown protection had largely gone untested throughout his UFC run, solely having to defend 5 makes an attempt and forfeiting one in his Contender Sequence combat final yr. Magny shot greater than as soon as and Prates defended each single try very nicely. Exhibiting unimaginable steadiness as Magny was lifting his leg far up within the air, even reversing an try right into a takedown of his personal.
The UFC veteran had nothing for Prates on the toes and after getting tagged a number of instances, it was a glancing shot to the temple that in the end put him down with 10 seconds left within the very first spherical. Prates didn’t play together with his meals and obtained him out of there early.
With this win, the 31-year outdated actually appears to be getting into his prime years. He’s now on a 10-fight win, 9-fight KO streak courting again to 2019. The Preventing Nerds camp, who actually have taken the game by storm, stored their sizzling streak going with Caio Borralho, Jean Silva, Mauricio Ruffy and Prates going a mixed 10-0 this yr with 9 of these wins coming by KO.
However what did we actually study from this fundamental occasion? In brief, we discovered that Prates is an actual participant at welterweight. We noticed him defend takedowns and do what he was anticipated to do as a -850 betting favorite. Sure, Magny is getting older, however he nonetheless supplied actual resistance to Mike Malott, one other welterweight prospect again in January of this yr. Is Magny’s wrestling offence on par with a number of the greatest wrestlers within the division? No, however he went 0 for 7 towards Prates.
That was nonetheless the largest wrestling menace Prates has needed to fend off to date within the UFC and he handed that check with flying colors, which is all you may ask for out of your rising contender.
That is the largest win of Prates’ profession and his callouts have been fairly nice, as nicely. He requested for Jack Della Maddalena in Sydney at UFC 312, or for Geoff Neal if he can not get that matchup with the Australian. Each of these fights could be assured fireworks. And whereas the Della Maddalena one is particularly salivating, we should still be a number of fights away from it.
No matter which route the UFC need to go along with him, it’s laborious to think about any matchup being a boring one when you may have such a knockout machine in your arms.
