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Tag: Carlos Prates

  • UFC Rankings Report: Carlos Prates’ Welterweight Entry Point Revealed

    UFC Rankings Report: Carlos Prates’ Welterweight Entry Point Revealed

    As always, the latest action on offer inside the Octagon has been followed by the release of the updated UFC rankings.

    And in the aftermath of UFC Fight Night: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates, MMA News has you covered with this week’s updates to the official UFC rankings.

    Men’s Pound-For-Pound: No changes.

    Women’s Pound-for-Pound: No changes.

    Women’s Strawweight: Gillian Robertson’s victory over Luana Pinheiro at the Apex has boosted her status at 115 pounds. The submission specialist has climbed two places to #12, leaving both Angela Hill (#13) and Pinheiro (#14) a spot worse off.

    Women’s Flyweight: No changes.

    Women’s Bantamweight: A week after moving into the rankings following Germaine de Randamie’s retirement, Jacqueline Cavalcanti hasn’t needed to fight in order to keep climbing. The Brazilian has leapfrogged Chelsea Chandler (#14) to secure the #15 position.

    Flyweight: No changes.

    Bantamweight: No changes.

    Featherweight: No changes.

    Lightweight: No changes.

    Welterweight: Carlos Prates has unsurprisingly had a number placed next to his name following Saturday’s main event. After knocking out Neil Magny in the first round for his fourth straight win of the year, “The Nightmare” has entered the UFC rankings at #13. That’s put Michael “Venom” Page (#15) on the final step of the ladder and eliminated the defeated Magny entirely.

    Middleweight: No changes.

    Light Heavyweight: No changes.

    Heavyweight: No changes,

    You can view the full updated UFC rankings here.

  • Carlos Prates On ‘Dream’ UFC Run: ‘I Was Fighting For Maybe $200’

    Carlos Prates On ‘Dream’ UFC Run: ‘I Was Fighting For Maybe $200’

    Carlos Prates is living the dream on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage, having emerged victorious from his maiden UFC main event this past weekend.

    After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2023, Prates has announced himself as a name to watch at 170 pounds by reeling off four straight wins in his debut year inside the Octagon.

    All of those came by way of knockout, with the most recent being a brutal one-punch finish of veteran contender Neil Magny in Saturday’s UFC Vegas 100 headliner.

    “The Nightmare” lived up to his moniker by swarming “The Haitian Sensation” with strikes after defending the 37-year-old’s early attempts to drag the fight to the mat. And after putting Magny on skates, a glancing blow to the temple face-planted him.

    During his post-fight press conference, Prates reflected on his latest triumph in the UFC, which should see him with a number next to his name come the latest rankings update on Tuesday.

    The Brazilian admitted his winning run in 2024 is like a “dream” given his early days in the sport, which saw him follow the grueling path from making pennies on the regional scene to earning a living toward the top of the MMA ladder.

    “It’s a dream,” Prates said. “A few years ago — not a few years ago, I think two years ago, one year and a half I was fighting for maybe $200. Now I’m doing a lot of money. It’s a dream. I worked hard for this for many years and I’m really happy.”

    And Prates doesn’t appear to plan on slowing down in 2025.

    Having secured a place in the top 15, “The Nightmare” has his sights on continuing to climb closer to title contention. Judging by his post-fight remarks, he’s hoping for that to come at the expense of either Jack Della Maddalena or Geoff Neal in the coming months.

  • ‘This Dude Is Legit’ – Fans & Fighters React As Carlos Prates Adds Neil Magny To His List Of KO Victims At UFC Vegas 100

    ‘This Dude Is Legit’ – Fans & Fighters React As Carlos Prates Adds Neil Magny To His List Of KO Victims At UFC Vegas 100

    The violent start to Carlos Prates’ Octagon career continued at the expense of veteran contender Neil Magny at UFC Vegas 100.

    Prates had already staked a strong claim for this year’s Newcomer of the Year accolade, having followed a contract-winning performance on Dana White’s Contender Series 14 months ago with three straight UFC knockouts in 2024.

    And if his brutal finishes of Trevin Giles, Charles Radtke, and Li Jingliang weren’t enough to get some aboard the Prates hype train, his quick night at the office opposite “The Haitian Sensation” Saturday night likely did the trick.

    The Brazilian immediately had his grappling defense tested by Magny, who looked to avoid his opponent’s renowned power at any and all cost.

    But the 37-year-old quickly found himself hurt and backpedaling after being struck by the prolific knockout artist. And with short time remaining in round one, “The Nightmare” shut Magny’s lights out and faceplanted him with a glancing left hand.

    Prates Showered With Praise After Magny KO In UFC Vegas 100 Main Event

    Unsurprisingly, the MMA community was abuzz in the aftermath of the Brazilian’s latest display of violence. Both fellow fighters and fans took to social media to express shock and awe.

    The common theme? “Legit.”

    With the result, “The Nightmare’s” winning run now stands at 11 straight fights spanning seven years. He’s expected to inherit Magny’s #15 spot inside the welterweight rankings come next week’s update.

    “The Haitian Sensation,” meanwhile, has now lost consecutive bouts for the first time since 2013. While his year opened in style when he stalled the surge of Canada’s Mike Malott, he’s now dropped back-to-back outings against two highly regarded names in Michael Morales and Prates.

  • UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Carlos Prates KOs Neil Magny

    UFC Fight Night Results & Highlights: Carlos Prates KOs Neil Magny

    UFC Fight Night took place tonight from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, and MMA News has you covered with all the results and highlights! 

    In the main event, welterweights Neil Magny and Carlos Prates clashed. While in the co-main event, Gerald Meerschaert faced Reinier de Ridder in a middleweight matchup. 

    Make sure to catch all the UFC Fight Night results and highlights as they happen below! 

    UFC Fight Night Results: Main Card

    • Welterweight Main Event: Carlos Prates def. Neil Magny via KO: R1, 4.50
    • Middleweight: Reinier de Ridder def. Gerald Meerschaert via submission: R3, 1.44
    • Bantamweight: Gaston Bolaños def. Cortavious Romious via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27×2)   
    • Women’s Strawweight: Gillian Robertson def. Luana Pinheiro via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28×2)  
    • Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Duško Todorović via TKO: R1, 2.44

    Preliminary Card

    • Women’s Strawweight: Denise Gomes def. Karolina Kowalkiewicz via unanimous decision (30-27×2, 29-28) 
    • Welterweight: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Zachary Scroggin via TKO: R1, 1.15
    • Welterweight: Charles Radtke def. Matthew Semelsberger via TKO: R1, 0.51
    • Bantamweight: Da’Mon Blackshear def. Cody Stamann via submission: R1, 4.19
    • Middleweight: Tresean Gore def. Antonio Trócoli via submission: R1, 1.23 
    • Women’s Bantamweight: Melissa Mullins def. Klaudia Sygula via TKO: R2, 1.20  

    Preliminary Card Highlights

    Melissa Mullins def. Klaudia Sygula

    In this women’s bantamweight bout, Melissa Mullins got it done with a Klaudia Sygula

    Tresean Gore def. Antonio Trócoli

    Tresean Gore earned a first-round submission of Antonio Trócoli in their middleweight contest.

    Da’Mon Blackshear def. Cody Stamann

    Da’Mon Blackshear locked in a rear-naked choke to get the win against Cody Stamann.

    Charles Radtke def. Matthew Semelsberger

    In this welterweight bout, Charles Radtke took just 51 seconds to TKO Matthew Semelsberger.

    Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos def. Zachary Scroggin

    In this welterweight bout, Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos earned a TKO of Zachary Scroggin in round one.

    Main Card Highlights

    Mansur Abdul-Malik def. Duško Todorović

    In this middleweight bout, Mansur Abdul-Malik earned a first-round TKO against Duško Todorović.

    Gillian Robertson def. Luana Pinheiro

    Gillian Robertson earned a unanimous decision win against Luana Pinheiro.

    Gaston Bolaños def. Cortavious Romious

    In this bantamweight bout, Gaston Bolaños earned a unanimous decision win against Cortavious Romious.

    Reinier de Ridder def. Gerald Meerschaert

    In the co-main event, Reinier de Ridder submitted Gerald Meerschaert in the third round.

    Carlos Prates def. Neil Magny

    In the main event, Carlos Prates knocked out Neil Magny in the first round of their welterweight fight.

  • UFC Fight Night: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates takes place on Saturday, and MMA News is here to bring you the official weigh-in results!

    Before heading back to New York City to stage its latest pay-per-view at Madison Square Garden next weekend, the mixed martial arts leader has one final piece of Fight Night business to attend to at the Apex.

    The main event presents an opportunity for the highly touted Prates to further climb the ranks at 170 pounds. The Brazilian will mark the latest rising name looking to establish himself in contention at the expense of longtime top 15 veteran Magny.

    Before that, the likes of TUF winner Ricky Turcios, former two-division ONE Championship titleholder Reinier de Ridder, and strawweight submission specialist Gillian Robertson will all be in action.

    UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates Weigh-In Results

    UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates takes place on Saturday, November 9, at the Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main card begins at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, with the preliminary card starting at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.

    See above for a replay of the weigh-ins via MMA Junkie, and check out the full results below!

    Main Card:

    • Welterweight Main Event: Neil Magny (171lbs) vs. Carlos Prates (170.5lbs)
    • Bantamweight Co-Main Event: Ricky Turcios (136lbs) vs. Benardo Sopaj (136lbs)
    • Middleweight: Gerald Meerschaert (185lbs) vs. Reinier de Ridder (185lbs)
    • Women’s Strawweight: Gillian Robertson (116lbs) vs. Luana Pinheiro (115.5lbs)
    • Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik (186lbs) vs. Duško Todorović (185.5lbs)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Women’s Strawweight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (115.5lbs) vs. Denise Gomes (115lbs)
    • Bantamweight: Gaston Bolaños (135.5lbs) vs. Cortavious Romious (136lbs)
    • Welterweight: Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos (171lbs) vs. Zachary Scroggin (174lbs)*
    • Welterweight: Matthew Semelsberger (171lbs) vs. Charles Radtke (170.5lbs)
    • Bantamweight: Cody Stamann (135.5lbs) vs. Da’Mon Blackshear (135.5lbs)
    • Middleweight: Tresean Gore (186lbs) vs. Antonio Trócoli (186lbs)
    • Women’s Bantamweight: Melissa Dixon (137lbs)** vs. Klaudia Sygula (136lbs)

    *Zachary Scroggin missed the welterweight limit by three pounds

    **Melissa Dixon missed the bantamweight limit by one pounds

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gm-_sHmg2nA
  • Carlos Prates Reflects On Dana White Comparing Him To Anderson Silva When He Signed To The UFC

    Carlos Prates Reflects On Dana White Comparing Him To Anderson Silva When He Signed To The UFC

    Brazil’s Carlos Prates is set to step into his first main event spotlight this weekend when he faces ranked welterweight Neil Magny at the UFC Apex. The Brazilian has been phenomenal since he arrived in the promotion and made an early impression.

    Prates was one of the highlights of last year’s season of the Contender Series where he stopped Mitch Ramirez in another big win for the Fighting Nerds team. The 31-year olds striking was so accurate and dangerous that his performance earned him a huge compliment from the boss.

    When Dana White announced that Prates would be joining the UFC’s welterweight roster, he compared him to one of the all-time greats by saying that his striking reminded him of a prime Anderson Silva. Since then, he has produced three wins inside the Octagon with finishes and performance of the night bonuses in each of them.

    In a recent interview with Kevin Iole, the rising welterweight contender was asked about what it was like to receive this kind of comparison and whether it added any additional pressure to his shoulders. For a Brazilian fighter to be compared to the former long-reigning middleweight champion, a compliment simply doesn’t get much bigger.

    However, Prates was able to take this in his stride and continue to do what he does best. He hopes that in many years when he’s created his own legacy in the sport, he will become a bench mark for fighters to be measured against like “The Spider” has been for so many.

    “It’s good, I don’t feel any pressure to be honest. I just step inside of the cage and try to do my best. I can win the fight but if I didn’t give my best, I’m not happy, you know. All the time I look to do my best and of course I hear about I look like Anderson Silva. It’s really nice but I’m working hard to maybe in five years or ten years, Dana White coming to another guy and say, ‘Hey, that guy looks like Carlos Prates in his prime.’”

  • UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates Headlines UFC Vegas 100

    UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates Headlines UFC Vegas 100

    MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards.

    With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

    Between Monday, October 7, and Sunday, October 13, a couple of notable fights were made official by the UFC or reported by reputable sources. For more information on those matchups, check out the links below:

    A number of lower-profile matchups also came together. For those, check out this week’s quick hits:

    But it wasn’t all positive, with two fights being adjusted. For those, see below:

  • UFC Matchmaking Bulletin: Chris Curtis Added To First 2025 Lineup

    MMA News has you covered with this week’s UFC matchmaking bulletin, featuring all the additions to upcoming cards.

    With UFC events being held most weekends, Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby have their matchmaking work cut out if they’re to fill them, meaning new bouts are confirmed each and every week.

    Between Monday, September 30, and Sunday, October 6, a couple of notable fights were made official by the UFC or reported by reputable sources. For more information on those matchups, check out the links below:

    A number of lower-profile matchups also came together. For those, check out this week’s quick hits:

  • Report: Carlos Prates’ Return In The Works For UFC 309 On Nov. 16

    Report: Carlos Prates’ Return In The Works For UFC 309 On Nov. 16

    Surging UFC welterweight prospect Carlos Prates looks set to have the chance to make a splash on yet another big stage next month.

    Prates (20-6) has put the 170-pound division on notice in three fights since earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series last year. The Fighting Nerds standout announced his arrival with knockouts of Trevin Giles and Charles Radtke.

    “The Nightmare” delivered most impressive performance to date last time out at UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, where he put a beating on formerly ranked contender Li Jingliang en route to a brutal KO.

    It appears that Prates will have the opportunity to keep his ball rolling at an even bigger pay-per-view event in a few weeks’ time, with Ag. Fight reporting that he’s verbally agreed to share the cage with Randy Brown (19-5) at UFC 309 on November 16.

    The numbered event is set to take place inside the prestigious surroundings of Madison Square Garden in New York City. Headlining will be a long-planned heavyweight showdown between champion Jon Jones and legend Stipe Miocic.

    While Prates looks to make a statement on the undercard, his veteran opponent will have an upset in mind. “Rude Boy” has won three straight since being submitted by Jack Della Maddalena, most recently outpointing Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at UFC 302 this past June.

    With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at the New York-held UFC 309 event on Nov. 16 are as follows:

    • Jon Jones (C) vs. Stipe Miocic (heavyweight championship main event)
    • Charles Oliveira vs. Michael Chandler (lightweight co-main event)
    • Bo Nickal vs. Paul Craig (middleweight)
    • Nikita Krylov vs. Azamat Murzakanov (light heavyweight)
    • Chris Weidman vs. Eryk Anders (middleweight)
    • Carlos Prates vs. Randy Brown (welterweight)
    • Viviane Araújo vs. Karine Silva (women’s flyweight)
    • Jonathan Martinez vs. Marcus McGhee (bantamweight)
    • Mickey Gall vs. Ramiz Brahimaj (welterweight)
    • Karine Silva vs. Viviane Araújo (women’s flyweight)
    • Veronica Hardy vs. Eduarda Moura (women’s flyweight)
  • ‘Very Specific In Our Training’ – Caio Borralho Breaks Down What Makes Fighting Nerds Special

    ‘Very Specific In Our Training’ – Caio Borralho Breaks Down What Makes Fighting Nerds Special

    Caio Borralho, who recently beat Jared Cannonier to become a top contender in the UFC middleweight division, is a member of Fighting Nerds. The mixed martial arts gym is based in São Paulo, Brazil, and has gained a ton of prominence in MMA circles lately.

    Several members of Fighting Nerds have put up impressive performances recently. For instance, Bruna Brasil defeated Molly McCann at UFC 304, Carlos Prates became the first person to knock out Li Jingliang at UFC 305, and Jean Silva stopped Drew Dober just two weeks after knocking out Charles Jourdain at UFC 303.

    Here’s why Fighting Nerds has the potential to generate multiple UFC champions according to Borralho, one of their most skilled members…

    Caio Borralho Reveals Training Strategies That Have Helped Fighting Nerds Members Excel In The UFC

    Borralho discussed what sets Fighting Nerds apart in an interview on the Inside Fighting YouTube channel recently. He highlighted that the gym focuses a lot on distance control and fighters are expected to break their fights into three stages. The first step is to establish range followed by constant movement to make the opponent miss.

    From the looks of it, Fighting Nerds fighters aim to start their fights relatively slowly. Once they’ve figured out the opponent’s style and striking patterns, they prepare to close distance and aggress which is the third stage.

    Borralho then revealed the rigorous practice that goes into perfecting their striking and distance management. For every opponent, they perform thousands of drills which explains why they’re so calm going into their fights.

    Another important step during training is studying footage. According to “The Natural”, Fighting Nerds coaches compile videos of opponents to understand how they start fights, throw strikes and takedowns, and move around the Octagon. For his latest fight, Borralho studied almost all the right hands thrown by Cannonier.

    “If we get a guy like Cannonier, like the right hand, like all right hands, almost like a lot of right video with just like big right hands of Cannonier. All his setting ups, you know, all his patterns and all this stuff. So, all take downs, all cage work that the guys do, how he behave himself in the cage work and then there’s like five six minutes of video only with cage work, you know. So, we’re very specific in our training. We have a very close approach when it comes about training and study, you know. And I think that help us a lot and I think this is it you know. We’re bunch of nerds you know!”

    All in all, Fighting Nerds members make sure to know everything about their opponent before even stepping into the Octagon. Most of the gym’s fighters are gradually climbing the ranks in their respective divisions, and it’ll be interesting to observe how quickly they can generate a champion with this approach.

  • Former Khalil Rountree Training Partner Predicts First-Round Knockout For ‘Guy Of The Moment’ Alex Pereira

    Former Khalil Rountree Training Partner Predicts First-Round Knockout For ‘Guy Of The Moment’ Alex Pereira

    The main event of UFC 307 is sure to be an exciting contest while it lasts as knockout artists compete for the light heavyweight title in Salt Lake City.

    Many were surprised to see Khalil Rountree get the next shot at Alex Pereira’s title but in some ways, the match-up speaks for itself.

    A lot is going to be made from now up to October 5 about Rountree’s comments regarding his willingness to stand and strike with the former GLORY kickboxer.

    Despite rating his skills as a fighter and his conduct as a person, a former training partner of his isn’t sure that he can hang in there against “Poatan”.

    Carlos Prates Can’t See How Khalil Rountree Will Compete With Alex Pereira On The Feet

    In a recent interview with Sherdog.com, breakout welterweight Carlos Prates gave his thoughts on the main event clash at 205 pounds.

    As someone who has spent some time in the company of Rountree, he was able to give an educated prediction for this fight.

    Prates, like many, simply doesn’t believe that Rountree will be able to have success when striking with Pereira, even if he has been very effective on the feet.

    The 170-pounder picked out Magomed Ankalaev, who many expected would be next for the title shot, as the only fighter that might be able to cause Pereira some problems, likely due to his grappling game.

    “To be honest, I train before with Khalil Rountree. He’s a nice guy, he’s a good fighter but I don’t think he can fight with ‘Poatan’. ‘Poatan’ is a different level of striking. I also see an interview of Khalil, he saying he have no plans to try take down so I think he, the first round, ‘Poatan’ gonna knock him out and that’s it. In light heavyweight, maybe Ankalaev can fight good against him but that’s it. Other guys, I don’t think they win the fight against ‘Poatan’. now ‘Poatan’ is the guy of the moment, the guy of the UFC right now.”

    Read also: Khalil Rountree Receives Lighter Sentence After Self-Reporting PED Usage

  • UFC Contender Targets Michael ‘Venom’ Page Having Emulated Him In The Past: “I Know The Way To Knock The Guy Out”

    UFC Contender Targets Michael ‘Venom’ Page Having Emulated Him In The Past: “I Know The Way To Knock The Guy Out”

    Carlos Prates has been a fantastic edition to the UFC roster since earning his contract via the last season of the Contender Series.

    The Fighting Nerds athlete has gone 3-0 inside the Octagon, stopping all three opponents with devastating finishes.

    His latest win over Li Jingliang at UFC 305 set him up well for an even bigger name next time out, and given the fact that he has put on a show with each appearance, a ranked opponent isn’t out of the question.

    When looking at the fighters that occupy the ranking sports from 15-10, one name in particular stands out to Prates.

    Carlos Prates Reveals That He Emulated Michael Page For ‘MVP’s Only Knockout Loss

    In a recent interview with Sherdog.com, Prates gave his thoughts on all of the potential ranked opponents that he could be matched with in the near future.

    He revealed an interesting story from his earlier career when arriving at the name of one of the division’s most talented strikers.

    Michael “Venom” Page is an incredibly difficult opponent to train for because you don’t find people that have his unique style combined with size and reach, very easily.

    Prates said that he has been a stand in for “MVP” when he was training alongside Douglas Lima, who fought Page twice in Bellator.

    In their first meeting, Lima would hand the Brit his first defeat at Bellator, via a ruthless second-round knockout.

    Prates believes that after being a part of the camp for this fight, he has the secret to become the second man to stop Page.

    “Michael Page would be a really good fight. I would like to fight him, it would be a great bonus again. You know the first time he lost to Douglas Lima? I was a sparring partner of Douglas. I was doing like MVP and Douglas was doing his game. He, Douglas and his coach, came to Thailand and we trained all together… So it’s kinda I know the way to knock the guy out.”

    Read also: Shavkat Rakhmonov Trusts UFC’s Meritocracy To Prevent Conor McGregor Title Shot Hijack, Reveals Belal Muhammad Turned Down UFC 307 Date

  • Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Coach ‘Very, Very Impressed’ With UFC 305 Fighter: ‘Unbelievable, Calm, Relaxed…’

    Khabib Nurmagomedov’s Coach ‘Very, Very Impressed’ With UFC 305 Fighter: ‘Unbelievable, Calm, Relaxed…’

    Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach, Javier Mendez, lavished Carlos Prates with accolades for his standout performance against Li Jingliang at UFC 305.

    Prates added another show-stopping finish to his resume last weekend at the RAC Arena in Perth, Western Australia, where he made history by becoming the first to knock out Chinese veteran Jingliang.

    “The Nightmare” wielded his straight left like a guided missile, landing it repeatedly throughout the night and forcing Jingliang to retreat towards the fence. Once “The Leech” was cornered in the second round, the Brazilian unleashed a devastating right hook, immediately followed by a thunderous left hook that shattered Jingliang’s defenses and sent him collapsing to the canvas.

    With three fights and three spectacular finishes in the UFC, coupled with an impressive performance on Dana White’s Contender Series that secured his contract, Prates has swiftly become a fan favorite, even earning the admiration of Mendez, thanks to his lethal striking artistry…

    Mendez Hails Prates’ Striking As ‘Something To Behold’

    During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Mendez shared his admiration for Prates’ performance at UFC 305. The head coach at American Kickboxing Academy praised ‘The Nightmare’ for his elite striking skills, which he noted are seamlessly combined with an impressive fight IQ. Mendez also expressed his eagerness to see more of Prates, especially his ground game, in future bouts.

    “You remember I told you I never seen Carlos Prates?” Mendez said. “And what an unbelievable, calm, relaxed sniper that guy is. When he hurt Li, he didn’t even go for the kill; he kept his distance and kept picking him apart. I was so, so impressed with him, and now I understand why he was the favorite and why they’re so high on him. This guy, his striking—man, he’s something to behold. Let’s see what he does with the ground game, because there was no ground game with Li Jingliang.”

    “He didn’t even try to take him down, and he’s never been stopped either, so this guy just kept picking him apart, you know, with sniper shots. I mean, God, it was unbelievable. I was very, very impressed with his fight IQ—very impressive fighter. Looking forward to seeing him again. Next time I see something with him on it, I’ll definitely tune in because he’s impressive to watch.”

    “The Nightmare” has now demolished nine consecutive opponents by knockout, including every one of his Octagon appearances, with no opponent surviving beyond the second round. With such explosive knockout prowess, Prates is positioning himself as a formidable force in the UFC, with a bright future as a serious title contender on the horizon.

  • ‘Mini Poatan’ – MMA Fighters & Fans React To Carlos Prates Flatlining Li Jingliang In Brutal UFC 305 Knockout

    ‘Mini Poatan’ – MMA Fighters & Fans React To Carlos Prates Flatlining Li Jingliang In Brutal UFC 305 Knockout

    Carlos Prates has become the first fighter to knock out Li Jingliang in his 29 pro fights. The Brazilian welterweight entered the UFC through Dana White’s Contender Series and has now racked up three wins in the promotion.

    “The Nightmare” displayed his striking prowess at UFC 305 from the get-go but never rushed to the finish. He knocked down Jingliang a couple of times before finally landing the knockout blow in the second.

    “The Leech”, as usual, showed heart and walked forward even while taking Prates’ best shots. This is the first time he has suffered two consecutive losses in his pro record.

    While it’s unclear what’s next for Jingliang, Prates has grabbed all the praise from fans and fighters worldwide.

    Carlos Prates’ Explosive Fighting Style Could Make Him A Problem In The UFC Welterweight Division

    https://twitter.com/FKNWOLVES/status/1824997838054408228
    https://twitter.com/Malcolm_fleX48/status/1824997841154023506

    The UFC welterweight division already has contenders like Jack Della Maddalena and Shavkat Rakhmonov with high finish rates. Prates climbing the ranks in similar fashion can naturally make the division more intriguing for the fans.

  • Li Jingliang Set For Long-Awaited Return At UFC 305 In Perth On August 17

    Li Jingliang Set For Long-Awaited Return At UFC 305 In Perth On August 17

    “The Leech” is back, with fan-favorite welterweight Li Jingliang set to make the walk for the first time in almost two years at UFC 305.

    Jingliang hasn’t appeared inside the Octagon since falling short in a widely debated split decision opposite Daniel Rodriguez on the shaken-up UFC 279 card back in September 2022.

    The Chinese fighter was scheduled to meet Tony Ferguson, but the changes brought about by Khamzat Chimaev’s weight miss saw him face an opponent who weighed in 10 pounds heavier in “D-Rod.”

    That, along with his personality being more and more on display, saw Jingliang’s fanbase increase. Unfortunately, he’s not been able to capitalize on that with a return to the Octagon after suffering a spine injury.

    Now, as first reported by UFC Weibo and confirmed by Eurosport Nederland’s Marcel Dorff, “The Leech” is finally ready to make his comeback at the upcoming UFC 305 pay-per-view in Perth, Australia, on August 17, where he’s slated to face the charging Carlos Prates.

    Jingliang Out For Bounce-Back Win Against Prates At UFC 305

    When Jingliang and Prates do battle Down Under, the former will be looking to return to winning ways at the expense of the fast-rising Brazilian.

    Jingliang (19-8) has exchanged victories and losses since moving to a three-fight win streak in 2019. While he fell to defeats at the hands of Khamzat Chimaev and Rodriguez, he sandwiched brutal knockouts of Santiago Ponzinibbio and Muslim Salikhov between them.

    If he’s to continue that trend of bouncing back, the Chinese 36-year-old must blemish the UFC record of Prates (19-6). After an emphatic performance on Dana White’s Contender Series to earn a spot on the roster, “The Nightmare” has enhanced his stock with consecutive first-round knockouts of Trevin Giles and Charles Radtke to announce his arrival.

    With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 305 in Perth on August 17 are as follows:

    • Dricus Du Plessis (C) vs. Israel Adesanya (middleweight championship main event)
    • Kai Kara-France vs. Steve Erceg (flyweight)
    • Tai Tuivasa vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik (heavyweight)
    • Joshua Culibao vs. Ricardo Ramos (featherweight)
    • Li Jingliang vs. Carlos Prates (welterweight)
    • Casey O’Neill vs. Tereza Bledá (women’s flyweight)
    • Jacob Malkoun vs. Gerald Meerschaert (middleweight)
    • Junior Tafa vs. Valter Walker (heavyweight)
    • Jack Jenkins vs. Gavin Tucker (featherweight)
    • Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes (lightweight)
    Image: DWCS/Zuffa LLC