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 essential occasion in opposition to Neil Magny. Being 3-0 since getting into the promotion, this battle represented a chance 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 Collection battle final 12 months. Magny shot greater than as soon as and Prates defended each single try very properly. Exhibiting unbelievable stability 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 occasions, 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 along with his meals and acquired him out of there early.
With this win, the 31-year previous 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 Combating Nerds camp, who actually have taken the game by storm, saved their sizzling streak going with Caio Borralho, Jean Silva, Mauricio Ruffy and Prates going a mixed 10-0 this 12 months with 9 of these wins coming by KO.
However what did we actually be taught from this essential occasion? Briefly, we realized 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 provided actual resistance to Mike Malott, one other welterweight prospect again in January of this 12 months. Is Magny’s wrestling offence on par with a number of the greatest wrestlers within the division? No, however he went 0 for 7 in opposition to Prates.
That was nonetheless the largest wrestling menace Prates has needed to fend off to date within the UFC and he handed that take a look at with flying colors, which is all you’ll be able to ask for out of your rising contender.
That is the largest win of Prates’ profession and his callouts had been fairly nice, as properly. 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 very salivating, we should be a number of fights away from it.
No matter which path the UFC need to go together with him, it’s laborious to think about any matchup being a uninteresting one when you will have such a knockout machine in your fingers.
