If the UFC handed out an annual rookie of the year award, Carlos Prates would undoubtedly be up for consideration in 2024.
The 31-year-old from Brazil earned a UFC contract through Dana White’s Contender Series in the summer of 2023 and has kicked off his tenure with the organization with three consecutive stoppage victories in 2024.
Prates will look to join Charles Johnson as the only other fighter to go 4-0 in the UFC this year when he is featured in his first UFC main event Saturday against all-time welterweight wins leader Neil Magny.
With prodding kicks to the midsection and crisp, long punches from his southpaw stance, Prates has been a difficult style matchup for his recent foes. Prates dispatched of Trevon Giles, Charles Radtke and Li Jingliang all within two rounds and all with finishing combinations coming from the left side.
Magny has seen it all at 170 pounds and tends to only lose when he faces a fighter who’s a legitimate top talent.
The 37-year-old has been alternating wins and losses of late and is coming off a first-round TKO loss to another welterweight upstart, undefeated Michael Morales, in August after beginning his year by upsetting Mike Malott and halting the Canadian’s momentum. He’ll look to do the same against Prates.
Prates typically holds a height and reach advantage over his opponents but that won’t be the case against Magny, who’s currently holding the final spot in the welterweight rankings at No. 15.
Another highlight finish from Prates to close out his 2024 campaign would likely see him earn a number beside his name and would set the stage for him to extend his hot streak and make a run at the title next year.
CHANGES TO THE FIGHT CARD
A scheduled rematch between welterweights Nicolas Dalby and Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos was changed when Dalby was removed from the bout due to injury and replaced by 7-0 UFC newcomer Zach Scroggin.
Unfortunately, a bantamweight contest between former champion Cody Garbrandt and Miles Johns was cancelled altogether after Garbrandt sustained an undisclosed injury and the organization was unable to find a suitable replacement on short notice.
UNDERCARD OVERVIEW
De Ridder debut: Former two-division ONE champion Reinier de Ridder will make his UFC debut on the main card in a middleweight bout against Gerald Meerschaert who holds the UFC middleweight record with 11 submission victories.
The addition of de Ridder marked one of the more notable free agent signings by the UFC in recent memory, the 34-year-old previously held the middleweight and light heavyweight belts in ONE, despite appearing in just nine fights under the banner. He holds a 17-2 record in MMA and had won seven consecutive bouts in ONE before losing both his belts to Anatoly Malykhin in consecutive bouts.
Can Robertson keep rolling? Gillian Robertson will look to go 3-0 in 2024 when she takes on Luana Pinheiro on the main card. The Canadian-born 29-year-old has been coming into her own since returning to the strawweight division. Pinheiro’s momentum has been going in the opposite direction, getting finished in her two most recent matchups against Amanda Ribas and Angela Hill.
DWCS grads get first opportunity: Mansur Abdul-Malik and Cortavious Romious were two of the fighters to earn UFC contracts based off their performances during this past season of Dana White’s Wontender Series and each will make their debut on Saturday.
Abdul-Malik kicks off the main card against fellow 185-pounder Dusko Todorovic in what should be an action-packed tilt for however long it lasts. Todorovic rarely requires the judges and Abdul-Malik has a 100 per cent finishing rate like fight fans saw in his August TKO win over Wes Schultz on DWCS.
Romious, a bantamweight, won a decision over Ontario’s Michael Imperato in August and will face former longtime Bellator fighter Gaston Bolanos.
Below is a look at the projected bout order for UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates…
MAIN CARD
— Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates
— Ricky Turcios vs. Bernardo Sopaj
— Gerald Meerschaert vs. Reinier de Ridder
— Luana Pinheiro vs. Gillian Robertson
— Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Dusko Todorovic
PRELIMINARY CARD
— Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Denise Gomes
— Gaston Bolanos vs. Cortavious Romious
— Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Zachary Scroggin
— Matthew Semelsberger vs. Charles Radtke
— Cody Stamann vs. Da’Mon Blackshear
— Tresean Gore vs. Antonio Trocoli
— Melissa Mullins vs. Klaudia Syguła
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