The main event for the UFC’s latest home show is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
LAS VEGAS – The main event for the UFC’s latest home show is official after the headliners made weight Friday.
Ahead of UFC Fight Night 247 (ESPN+), which takes place Saturday at the UFC Apex, welterweight standouts [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 22-11 UFC) and [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag] (20-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC) stepped on the scale at the official weigh-ins.
Check out the UFC Fight Night 247 weigh-in results from Las Vegas, featuring Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates.
LAS VEGAS – MMA Junkie was on scene and reporting live from Friday’s official UFC Fight Night 247 (ESPN+) fighter weigh-ins at the UFC Apex.
Among those weighing in were welterweight standouts Neil Magny (29-12 MMA, 22-11 UFC) and Carlos Prates (20-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC), who meet in the main event.
The originally scheduled co-headliner between Ricky Turcios and Bernardo Sopaj was called off due to a medical issue on Turcios side after he made weight.
Additionally, two preliminary-card fighters missed weight. Short-notice newcomer Zach Scroggin was three pounds over the welterweight limit for his scheduled matchup with Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos, while Melissa Mullins was one pound over the women’s bantamweight limit against debuting opponent Klaudia Sygula.
The full UFC Fight Night 247 weigh-in results include:
MAIN CARD (ESPN+, 7 p.m. ET)
Neil Magny (171) vs. Carlos Prates (170.5)
Bernardo Sopaj (136) vs. Ricky Turcios (136)
Reinier de Ridder (185) vs. Gerald Meerschaert (185)
Luana Pinheiro (115.5) vs. Gillian Robertson (116)
Mansur Abdul-Malik (186) vs. Dusko Todorovic (185.5)
PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN+, 4 p.m. ET)
Denise Gomes (115) vs. Karolina Kowalkiewicz (115.5)
Gaston Bolanos (135.5) vs. Cortavious Romious (136)
Zach Scroggin (174)* vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (171)
Charlie Radtke (171) vs. Matthew Semelsberger (171)
Da’Mon Blackshear (135.5) vs. Cody Stamann (135.5)
Tresean Gore (186) vs. Antonio Trocoli (186)
Melissa Mullins (137)** vs. Klaudia Sygula (136)
* Scroggin missed non-title welterweight limit by three pounds; fined 20 percent of purse ** Mullins missed women’s bantamweight limit by one pound; fined 20 percent of purse
Carlos Prates, unbeaten in three UFC fights, has a stern test in longtime welterweight Neil Magny – yet he’s a 9-1 favorite.
MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC Fight Night 247 main event between [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] and [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag].
Supplemental info:
+ All-Army combatives champion
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt
+ 8 KO victories
+ 4 submission wins
+ 6 first-round finishes
+ Consistent pace and pressure
^ High-volume striker
+ Long and accurate jab
+ Improved wrestling ability
^ Works well from bodylock
+ Solid transitional grappler
^ Scrambles and floats well
+/- 7-4 against UFC-level southpaws
Supplemental info:
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ Multiple muay Thai and kickboxing titles
+ 15 KO victories
+ 3 submission wins
+ 8 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Accurate shot selection
^ Good proprioception and eyes in exchanges
+ Dangerous left crosses and kicks
+ Solid takedown defense against the fence
+ Strong inside the clinch
^ Hard knees and good frames
+ Good transitional grappler
Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates point of interest: Striking with a southpaw
China’s Li Jingliang (in red) and Brazil’s Carlos Prates fight in their men’s welterweight division event of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 305 at the Perth Arena in Perth on August 18, 2024. (Photo by COLIN MURTY / AFP) / — IMAGE RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE – STRICTLY NO COMMERCIAL USE — (Photo by COLIN MURTY/AFP via Getty Images)
The main event in Las Vegas features a showdown between two long welterweights who operate out of opposite stances.
An orthodox fighter with a winning record in open-stance affairs, [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag]’s game doesn’t really diverge off of his preferred path when having to strike with southpaws.
Consistently circling and moving, Magny utilizes all 80 inches of his reach while working behind his long and accurate jab (something many orthodox fighters mistakenly stop doing opposite southpaws).
Often doubling up with his lead, Magny keeps his opponent’s eyes occupied while looking to set up his next shot. Magny is also a more aggressive kicker in open-stance matchups and will sneakily counter-balance said kicks with straight shots down the centerline.
Nevertheless, I’m not sure how much Magny will want to be exchanging kicks with a fighter like [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag].
A savvy southpaw who spent multiple years fighting in Thailand, Prates has an undeniable swagger to his striking style.
Although I wish he were a little more active with his lead hand, Prates does well at quietly keeping the temperature high with lead-handed prods coming forward and check hook looks off the counter. And once Prates finds his range, the Brazilian wields the threat of crushing kicks and crosses in conjunction, providing multiple examples of what many of us analysts refer to as ‘the southpaw double-attack.’
Whether Prates is counter-balancing knees with straight shots or is utilizing crosses to disguise kicks off the same side, the lung-dart-loving 31-year-old can serve as a death dealer with multiple weapons at his disposal.
Prates is also an avid leg kicker who doesn’t discriminate when it comes to picking his targets in open-stance affairs (as he isn’t beyond attacking the rear leg a la Sittichai Sangkhachot).
Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates breakdown: Potential grappling threats
Jan 20, 2024; Toronto, Canada, USA; Neil Magny (red glove) fights Mike Malott (blue gloves) during UFC 297 at ScotiaBank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Between the smaller octagon of the Apex and Magny’s propensity to push clinching agendas, I wouldn’t be shocked to see a decent amount of grappling in this fight.
Diligently working his wrestling and jiu-jitsu with the Elevation Fight Team, Magny has quietly become a menace to tangle with in close quarters.
From Magny’s ability to stay with scrambles to his sticky sensibilities from the bodylock position, the former “TUF” contestant has come a long way when it comes to sharpening his technique and weaponizing his cardio.
Although Magny is a fairly flexible takedown artist, he primarily does his best work when chaining attacks or hitting shuck-bys from the clinch. That said, Magny could get more than he bargains for if he’s not careful about how he ties up with a muay Thai stylist like Prates.
Not only can Prates operate well with the collar ties that you would associate with a striker of his background, but the Brazilian also displays solid wrestling fundamentals as far as defense goes.
Whether Prates hoisting his opponent’s arms off of his hips with high and tight whizzers or is working off of solid forearm frames, the Fighting Nerds product demonstrates solid fight I.Q. when forced to defend takedowns along the fence. And in the open, Prates appears to have some deceptively strong hips that assist his already stellar reaction times when it comes to shutting down shots at his legs.
When taken down, Prates is good about keeping his composure while seeking out solutions that prioritize stand-ups and sweeps over submissions. Prates showed a glimpse of his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt savvy with a sweet butterfly sweep he hit against Charles Radtke, but Magny should prove a more stern test if he’s able to get some positive positions in this fight.
Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates odds
The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the Brazilian newcomer, listing Prates -900 and Magny +520 via FanDuel.
Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates prediction, pick
Carlos Prates
Although these odds are getting a bit out of hand for my liking, I can’t say that I’m surprised to see such a wide spread in this spot.
Aside from Prates being ‘the new hotness in town,’ there’s nothing MMA gamblers love more than fading aging fighters.
Magny, to his credit, has managed to hang around as the most winningest welterweight in UFC history. The flip side to that coin, however, is that Magny also has the most in-octagon miles among his contemporaries – – something that I believe has started to show itself more and more in recent years.
Moreover, the book on how to beat Magny has been firmly written at this point of his career.
Whether we’re talking about tactics like leg kicks or the undeniable trends that cage positioning plays in Magny’s strikes-absorbed stats, there are plenty of trends that favor Prates going into this fight.
Add in the fact that specialists make up a disproportionate amount of Magny’s losses, and I can’t help but like Prates’ chances despite his lack of high-level sample sizes (something I typically am more critical than most about).
Even though I can admit my fandom of Prates’ style and swagger, his team, Fighting Nerds, prides themselves on their ability to game plan and this seems like a fairly straightforward assignment.
I’ll officially pick Prates to knock Magny out along the fence by the end of Round 2.
Prediction: Prates inside the distance
Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates start time, where to watch
As the main event, Magny and Prates are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 9:45 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on ESPN+.
Bernardo Sopaj has UFC title aspirations, so starting 0-2 in the octagon at UFC Vegas 100 is not an option.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Bernardo Sopaj[/autotag] has designs on one day being a UFC champion, so Saturday’s matchup with Ricky Turcios at UFC Fight Night 247 has a high degree of importance.
Sopaj (11-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC), a 24-year-old bantamweight out of Albania, stumbled in his octagon debut in March when he was on the receiving end of an all-time highlight reel flying knee knockout against Vinicius Oliveira after starting the fight strong.
It was an ugly way to be introduced to the UFC, but an important lesson and setback for Sopaj. It didn’t deter his goal of being champion, but starting 0-2 in the octagon would make his title trajectory that much longer, although it’s been done before.
“(A victory is) just one step closer to what I want, one step closer to the belt because I’m here to take the belt and nothing else,” Sopaj told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 247 media day. “I didn’t come here to celebrate a victory. I didn’t come here to say that I’m a UFC fighter. If I would come here for this it would be the wrong decision. When I started with MMA I said, ‘OK, if I want to do this, I have to be the best.’
“To be in the UFC, for me, is just the beginning. My goal is to be the best, my goal is to get the belt and be the greatest fighter.”
Sopaj will look to secure his first octagon triumph when he takes on Turcios (12-4 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at the UFC Apex (ESPN+). His opponent brings an unorthodox style to the cage, but it’s not an approach that breeds any concern from Sopaj.
“He’s a very good all-around fighter,” Sopaj said. “He has a little bit of a weird style. He’s like a street fighter. But I believe I’m better than him everywhere. I’m a more complete fighter than him, stronger than him and more technical.”
Originally, the matchup between Sopaj and Turcios was merely a piece of the six-fight main card on Saturday. Then former champion Cody Garbrandt withdrew from the co-main event against Miles Johns, and the lineup was shifted with Sopaj vs. Turcios now in the co-headliner.
That’s a bigger spotlight for Sopaj, but he said it’s only enhancing his motivation to deliver a spectacular performance.
“No pressure,” Sopaj said. “I feel very good, very confident. This gives me extra excitement. I feel very good. I learned about this (on Tuesday) and I feel very good about it. I’m happy. … I feel very good. I’m very grateful.”
Seasoned UFC welterweight Neil Magny recognizes the gatekeeper role he’s playing – and loves the challenge.
LAS VEGAS – Yes, [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] keeps getting matched up with the hottest rising prospects the UFC welterweight division has to offer – and yes, he loves it.
Ahead of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 247, Magny (29-12 MMA, 22-11 UFC) embraces the role he’s assumed, as the guy attempting to bump a hype train off the tracks.
At 37 years of age with 33 UFC fights under his belt, why does Magny do it?
“Notoriety. At this point, it’s all about letting it be known that you still stand to be a force in the division, so to speak,” Magny told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday. “I don’t do that by fighting guys I know I can beat. I get it by going out there and challenging myself against whomever the UFC throws at me. This is yet again another example of that.
“I can easily be like, ‘Hey, do you guys have any 30-year-olds or 40-year-olds I can fight? I don’t want to fight another up-and-coming killer.’ But I know that’s not what’s going to make me happy at the end of the day. I want to challenge myself. Right now, being at the place I’m at physically, mentally, emotionally, I know I can still compete with the best guys in the world. I would honestly feel bad for myself if I were to sandbag and sell myself short by taking an opponent I know I’d beat easily.”
[lawrence-related id=2784600,2784560]
This time around, the challenge is [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag], a lanky sniper of a striker with massive knockout power built training with The Fighting Nerds. Prates (20-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC) has won his first three UFC fights by knockout. Saturday’s fight at the UFC Apex will be his fourth in 10 months.
“I’ve been impressed thus far,” Magny said. “He has some pretty good kickboxing matches that I’ve been able to see. He did pretty well in his MMA career. Though he’s a young guy in the UFC, the guy has 26 professional MMA fights under his belt. So he’s definitely a veteran in this sport in particular, as far as the skill sets he brings to the table. Knowing the camp that he trains at and his background, I know he’s know slouch. Though I know he’s predominantly a striker, I know he’s going to have pretty good wrestling defense, ground game, and things like that, as well. I know I have a tough test ahead of me and I can’t wait to go out there and deliver.”
In order to get the job done, Magny aims to remain level-headed. It’s as much of a mental game as it is physical.
“The biggest thing is being present,” Magny said. “I know these guys are very dangerous everywhere else. I can’t afford to be complacent at any moment in this fight. I know I’m going to be able to out there, out-strike, out-wrestle, out-grapple. I can do whatever it takes to get the job done. For me, it’s all about being present and executing at this point.”
Although he’s had 21 UFC fights, Gerald Meerschaert didn’t hesitate when he drew promotional newcomer Reinier de Ridder at UFC Vegas 100.
LAS VEGAS – Although he’s had 21 fights in the UFC, [autotag]Gerald Meerschaert[/autotag] didn’t hesitate when he got the call to fight promotional newcomer Reinier de Ridder at UFC Fight Night 247.
De Ridder (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) isn’t any ordinary debuting fight. He’s a former two-division titleholder with ONE Championship, and was a celebrated free agent signing by the matchmakers, who wasted no time throwing him in the deep end against middleweight finishes record holder Meerschaert (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) on Saturday’s card at the UFC Apex (ESPN+).
“I think it’s a good thing,” Meerschaert told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 247 media day. “I think a lot more people know about de Ridder than maybe some of the people who only follow UFC give him credit for. He’s tough. Had a lot of belts in ONE FC, so that’s nothing to shake your head at. It’s fun to be the one to welcome in somebody who was a double champ in a different organization because I think it says a lot about me if I can go out and get that finish on Saturday.”
With back-to-back wins on his resume, Meerschaert is enjoying the current state of his career. Like most fighters, his goal is to move up the rankings and into more relevant matchups. He’s not sure how much beating de Ridder will help with the former, but he said he will be demanding the latter if he gets his hand raised.
“I think a win over de Ridder, if I win impressively enough, I think it could put me at No. 15 (in UFC’s official rankings), but it definitely puts me in the conversation for fighting ranked guys,” Meerschaert said. “Absolutely. That’s what I’m looking forward to. Win on Saturday, I would like to fight someone ranked or just give me somebody that has a decent name on a big card. Fighting somebody high in the ranking is important, but getting eyeballs on you having great performances is just as, if not more so important.”
Meerschaert admitted he’s as curious as anyone to see what de Ridder is capable of at the UFC level, especially given his strong grappling skills. Meerschaert owns the most submission victories in the history of UFC’s 185-pound weight class, so the matchup on the mat is one he is keen to dive into.
“I expect him to be at his best and he’s a very, very good grappler,” Meerschaert said. “Especially straight jiu-jitsu style grappling, he’s one of the last guys that really goes out there and implements that in his game plan. He’s definitely more in the style of a Gunnar Nelson or Demian Maia, and he’s just as dangerous as either one of those guys.”
What’s Carlos Prates’ potential at welterweight? We preview his return vs. Neil Magny at UFC Vegas 100 on “Spinning Back Clique.”
Another weekend, another UFC event.
This Saturday, the promotion hosts UFC Fight Night 247 in Las Vegas, which features a welterweight headliner between veteran [autotag]Neil Magny[/autotag] and promising contender [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag].
What’s Prates’ ceiling at welterweight? What other bouts stand out from the card?
MMA Junkie’s Brian “Goze” Garcia, Nolan King, Danny Segura and host Gorgeous “George” preview the top billing of UFC Fight Night 247, along with other matchups on the card.
Watch their discussion in the video above, and don’t miss this week’s complete episode of “Spinning Back Clique” below on YouTube.
Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”
Thursday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.
On Episode 3,512, the fellas welcome in former UFC middleweight champion and current ONE Championship exec Rich Franklin. They also went inside UFC Fight Night 247 and some major MMA news, including some big-name pull-outs. Tune in!
Reinier de Ridder is seeking a memorable introduction to the octagon Saturday against Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Vegas 100.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Reinier de Ridder[/autotag] is seeking a memorable introduction to the octagon Saturday against Gerald Meerschaert at UFC Fight Night 247.
Former two-division ONE Championship titleholder de Ridder (17-2 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes his anticipated entry to promotion when he takes on all-time middleweight finishes and submissions record holder Meerschaert (37-17 MMA, 12-9 UFC) at the UFC Apex (ESPN+).
“Finally, after all these years of talking about the top guys, to finally be close to getting them is very cool,” de Ridder told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 247 media day. “The most important this is Gerald first. It’s a very cool matchup. It’s cool that it’s here. … Let’s see what I can do.”
At 34, time is of the essence for de Ridder. He said he feels fresh and healthy after lots of time off during his final years under the ONE Championship banner, and is keen to “make up for lost time” now that he’s in the UFC.
In order to get the opportunities he wants, though, de Ridder knows he can’t scrape by with a win. He needs to do something emphatic against Meerschaert, and that is exactly his intentions.
“A win is not enough – the top dogs finished Gerald and I want to prove I’m one of them,” de Ridder said. “To be honest, if I can ever get close to one of the records he holds, it would be amazing. So cool to see him fight, I’ve always watched his fights and that’s a great thing for this fight as well. There’s so much tape to study. He has so much fights. He has a really difficult style.
“The ways he finishes fights, there’s a few things he’s very dangerous at, there’s a few things he does that I think I can really capitalize as well. But it’s a great matchup. I’m very happy that they’ve given me him for my first fight because he’s a veteran, he’s a real name and I think if I can put a stamp on this one, I have some leverage to start calling out some bigger names.”
In his first UFC main event, Carlos Prates plans to spark Neil Magny – and then perhaps spark a celebratory cigarette.
LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Carlos Prates[/autotag] is on the verge of UFC stardom, or so it seems to some.
If activity is any indicator, the UFC thinks so, too. Prates (20-6 MMA, 3-0 UFC) is booked for his fourth promotional fight in 10 months, Saturday when he headlines UFC Fight Night 247 against Neil Magny (29-12 MMA, 22-11 UFC).
The bout is Prates’ first UFC main event and he’s excited about the opportunity.
“I had a fight against Randy Brown on Nov. 16 in New York,” Prates told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a pre-fight news conference Wednesday. I was really happy with that opportunity to fight in Madison Square Garden on the same day as Jon Jones. But he said something that he’d fight me Dec. 7. I did not understand why. Then, the UFC gave me the fight against Neil Magny on the main event and I was really excited.”
Initially, Prates admits the prospect of fighting at Madison Square Garden far outweighed any other possibilities he could think of. But the moment his manager Lucas Lutkus told him of the offer on the table, his attitude changed in an instant.
“I was in the gym,” Prates said. “(Lutkus) said, ‘You aren’t going to fight Randy Brown, but you have a new opponent one week before.’ I was like, ‘No way. I don’t want to fight one week before.’ He said, ‘Oh, it’s the main event against Neil Magny.’ I was like, ‘Of course. Let’s go. Let’s go. It’s a really good opportunity.
“… It’s better. I think Randy Brown is an easier fight than Neil Magny. He is much easy money. But you know the main event, we get the bonus to fight the main event, more money and also the main events are the biggest shows in the world. I think it’s a better change.”
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The rise up the welterweight ladder has been a quick one for Prates, who will likely enter the UFC rankings if he wins Saturday. Prates credits his finishing abilities for the fast ascent.
“I asked for the fight because I finish the fights really fast,” Prates said. “I think it’s the main reason, you know? I always finish the fight, and then I fight in two months or something like that. I ask to fight somebody when they do an interview in the octagon.”
Should he win, Prates thinks he’ll be two or three fights away from a UFC title shot. He wants to fight in February at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, then compete twice more to round out the year – a bit slower of a pace, but a necessary one to heal up some nagging injuries.
“I have been training so hard, and to be honest, I’m going to fight Neil Magny on Saturday, and then I’m looking for a fight in Australia in February,” Prates said. “Then, I’ll take a little break to take care of my body, my health. It’s good also that I’m keeping training and fighting. It’s good also. But now it’s time to, like I say, to think with my brain, not with my heart.”
