Carlos Prates proved his hype was justified with another stellar performance in his first main event at UFC Fight Night 247, and likely locked up a Newcomer of the Year award.
Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) didn’t get an easy challenge in the smaller cage at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. He was lined up against Neil Magny, a mainstay of the UFC welterweight division’s rankings, yet the Brazilian made it look relatively easy. Prates left Magny (29-13 MMA, 22-12 UFC) lying motionless on the canvas at 4:50 of the opening round.
The opening sequence revealed Magny’s gameplan to get the fight to the ground. Prates reversed the initial attempt and brought the fight back to the feet. Magny was determined to impose his will though, and kept hunting for takedowns.
However, Prates created separation and then turned up the forward pressure with strikes. A short right hand sent Magny to the canvas, but he did not follow him to the ground. Instead, Prates let him back up and got right back on the hunt.
A powerful, yet glancing left hand caught Magny in the sweet spot, sending him crashing to the canvas for a walkoff knockout.
WHAT A KNOCKOUT BY PRATES 😳 #UFCVEGAS100 pic.twitter.com/kjKSqDXTpX
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 10, 2024
During his post-fight interview, Prates called out another highly-touted talent, Jack Della Maddalena, for a showdown in Australia. It was a dual request so he could not only fight up in the rankings, but also see his daughter who lives down under. As a consolation, he said he would like a fight against the hard-hitting Geoff Neal.
Since being signed to the UFC after a knockout on Dana White’s Contender Series last August, Prates has racked up four wins, each of which were vicious, bonus-earning finishes.
The Fighting Nerds product debuted in February and recorded four victories this year, making a solid case for taking home a newcomer award.
For Magny, he walks away with a second consecutive loss. The UFC welterweight wins leader has struggled to build momentum in recent years as he has traded wins and losses since 2022.
Full UFC Fight Night 247 results include:
- Carlos Prates def. Neil Magny via knockout (punch) – Round 1, 4:50
- Reinier de Ridder def. Gerald Meerschaert via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 3, 1:44
- Gaston Bolanos def. Cortavious Romious via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27, 30-27)
- Gillian Robertson def. Luana Pinheiro via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Dusko Todorovic via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 2:44
- Denise Gomes def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Zach Scroggin via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 1:15
- Charlie Radtke def. Matthew Semelsberger via TKO (strikes) – Round 1, 0:51
- Da’Mon Blackshear def. Cody Stamann via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 4:19
- Tresean Gore def. Antonio Trocoli via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 1:23
- Melissa Mullins def. Klaudia Sygula via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 1:20
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 247.
