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Tag: UFC Fight Night: Magny vs. Prates

  • ‘Heartbroken’ Karolina Kowalkiewicz Answers Retirement Questions After UFC Vegas 100 Loss

    ‘Heartbroken’ Karolina Kowalkiewicz Answers Retirement Questions After UFC Vegas 100 Loss

    UFC women’s strawweight Karolina Kowalkiewicz doesn’t plan on letting her defeat at the Apex this past weekend mark the end of her journey in MMA.

    Kowalkiewicz, who has amassed 18 fights worth of Octagon experience since debuting way back in 2015, returned for her second assignment of the year in Saturday’s UFC Vegas 100 featured preliminary bout.

    The Polish standout had hoped to bounce back against Denise Gomes after dropping a decision to the fast-rising Iasmin Lucindo this past May at UFC 301 in Rio de Janeiro.

    But the 39-year-old once again fell short to a young Brazilian fighter, with “Dee” also getting the nod on all three scorecards following 15 minutes of action.

    A day on from her second straight setback, Kowalkiewicz took to her Instagram Story to address her supporters.

    The Polish veteran gave an honest assessment of her performance and the result, admitting that Gomes was simply better. That fact hasn’t, however, brought her to the brink of calling it quits.

    “Hey guys, Iā€™m so sorry. But thank you for your support, for your love. Iā€™m okay, as you can see, Iā€™m okay, just my heart is broken,” Kowalkiewicz said. “I had a really great fight camp, perfect weight-cutting, I felt really, really good. Really good shape, but my opponent, sheā€™s better than me, what can I say?

    “Give me some time and see you soon. Iā€™m not going to retire, donā€™t worry,” Kowalkiewicz added.

    It remains to be seen what comes next for Kowalkiewicz, but it appears certain that fans haven’t seen the last of the former KSW women’s flyweight champion inside the Octagon.

    Gomes, meanwhile, has now won two on the bounce since failing to climb the ladder against Angela Hill in November 2023. The Brazilian will no doubt look to keep her sights on those above her in pursuit of a spot in contention.

  • 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.

    ā€œItā€™s a dream,ā€ Prates said. ā€œA few years ago ā€” not a few years ago, I think two years ago, one year and a half I was fighting for maybe $200. Now Iā€™m doing a lot of money. Itā€™s a dream. I worked hard for this for many years and Iā€™m really happy.ā€

    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.

  • Reinier de Ridder Targets Khamzat Chimaev After Successful UFC Debut: ‘I’m Ready’

    Reinier de Ridder Targets Khamzat Chimaev After Successful UFC Debut: ‘I’m Ready’

    Former two-division ONE champion and UFC newcomer Reinier de Ridder would welcome the chance to hand Khamzat Chimaev his first defeat inside the cage.

    De Ridder arrived in mixed martial arts’ leading promotion this year, having had his two pieces of ONE Championship gold ripped from his grasp by Anatoly Malykhin and becoming angered by the workings of the Asia-based promotion.

    After bouncing back under the UAE Warriors banner in the summer, “The Dutch Knight” put pen to paper on a dream move to the UFC. And his pursuit of adding the organization’s middleweight belt to his trophy cabinet got underway this past weekend at the Apex.

    Co-headlining UFC Vegas 100, de Ridder shared the cage with a former training partner and fellow grappling specialist in Gerald Meerschaert. The Breda, Netherlands native emerged victorious from a competitive and grueling affair by way of submission in round three.

    De Ridder’s debut performance split opinion in the community, with many already writing off his chances of defeating the top names high up the ladder at 185 pounds.

    The former ONE double champ, however, says he’s “ready” for the toughest tests.

    During his post-fight press conference on Saturday night, de Ridder reflected on his first foray into the Octagon, admitting that not everything went how he had envisioned pre-fight.

    ā€œOn the floor, I made a few mistakes, especially in the second round,ā€ de Ridder said. ā€œI shouldnā€™t have went for those (Dā€™arce chokes), I thought I had them but they werenā€™t there. Thereā€™s a few little tweaks I should make there.

    ā€œBut Iā€™m happy it happened this way, the fight happened this way. Because normally heā€™s the guy who lasts longer, he takes some shots and heā€™s still there and he finishes guys at the end of the second or in the third round,” de Ridder continued. “So itā€™s cool I was that guy this time.ā€

    Nevertheless, the manner in which the fight played out hasn’t dented his confidence. In fact, de Ridder has maintained his self-belief when it comes to defeating the best contenders, even calling for the opportunity to blemish Khamzat Chimaev’s perfect record.

    ā€œWhy not Khamzat? That would be a nice matchup, grappling wise, it would be cool,” de Ridder suggested. “Whatever the UFC wants of me, Iā€™ll do it. Just give me a call. Iā€™m ready.ā€

  • ‘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 FightĀ Night Results & Highlights: Carlos Prates KOsĀ Neil Magny

    UFC FightĀ Night Results & Highlights: Carlos Prates KOsĀ 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!Ā 

    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.Ā 

    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 BolaƱos def. Cortavious Romious via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27×2)   
    • Womenā€™s Strawweight: Gillian Robertson def. Luana Pinheiro via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-28×2)  
    • Middleweight: Mansur Abdul-Malik def. DuÅ”ko Todorović via TKO: R1, 2.44

    Preliminary Card

    • Womenā€™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: Daā€™Mon Blackshear def. Cody Stamann via submission: R1, 4.19
    • Middleweight: Tresean Gore def. Antonio TrĆ³coli via submission: R1, 1.23 
    • Womenā€™s Bantamweight: Melissa Mullins def. Klaudia Sygula via TKO: R2, 1.20  

    Preliminary Card Highlights

    Melissa MullinsĀ def. Klaudia Sygula

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

    Tresean Gore def. Antonio TrĆ³coli

    Tresean Gore earned a first-round submission of Antonio TrĆ³coli in their middleweight contest.

    Daā€™Mon Blackshear def. Cody Stamann

    Daā€™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. DuÅ”ko Todorović

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

    Gillian Robertson def. Luana Pinheiro

    Gillian Robertson earned a unanimous decision win against Luana Pinheiro.

    Gaston BolaƱos def. Cortavious Romious

    In this bantamweight bout, Gaston BolaƱos 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.

  • ‘How Bad Is ONE’s MMA Pool?’ – Fans Give Mixed Reviews As Reinier de Ridder Wins UFC Vegas 100 Debut

    ‘How Bad Is ONE’s MMA Pool?’ – Fans Give Mixed Reviews As Reinier de Ridder Wins UFC Vegas 100 Debut

    Reinier de Ridder got his UFC career off to a winning start at UFC Vegas 100, submitting Gerald Meerschaert in the co-main event.

    De Ridder, a former two-division kingpin under the ONE Championship banner, departed Asia’s leading martial arts promotion after being unseated by Anatoly Malykhin at both middleweight (205lbs) and light heavyweight (225lbs).

    Following a bounce-back win at UAE Warriors 51 this past July, the Dutchman put pen to paper on a deal with the UFC, vowing to make a splash and compete with the best in the 185-pound class.

    His path to doing so got underway Saturday night at the Apex, where de Ridder shared the cage with a former training partner of his and fellow submission specialist in Wisconsin’s Meerschaert.

    Things started off rocky for “The Dutch Knight,” who found himself getting hit by the UFC veteran throughout the first round. But de Ridder finished the frame in strong fashion, dropping “GM3” and threatening a finish before the buzzer.

    After a grueling second round, the Octagon newcomer looked to take advantage of his opponent’s apparent fatigue, which paved the way for him to establish control on the ground in the final stanza.

    It was there where he locked in an arm-triangle choke, extending his submission tally to 13 in the cage and forcing Meerschaert’s first tap since a defeat to Jack Hermansson way back in 2018.

    Fans React To de Ridder’s Successful UFC Debut

    While the former ONE double champ had his hand raised, his performance received mixed reviews from MMA peers and the fanbase on social media.

    Some were quick to write off de Ridder’s chances of adding UFC gold to his trophy cabinet, predicting that his striking deficiencies will be exposed by those occupying spots inside the middleweight top 15.

    Others, however, noted that de Ridder’s display at UFC Vegas 100 followed a similar trend to his previous performances on the other side of the world ā€” which he was able to repeat all the way to multiple thrones.

    For Meerschaert, Saturday’s result snapped his two-fight winning run. The veteran had previously strung together consecutive submission triumphs over Bryan Barberena and Edmen Shahbazyan to reignite his ambitions of earning a number next to his name at 185 pounds.

  • 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 viaĀ 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. DuÅ”ko Todorović (185.5lbs)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Women’s Strawweight: Karolina Kowalkiewicz (115.5lbs) vs. Denise Gomes (115lbs)
    • Bantamweight: Gaston BolaƱos (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. Daā€™Mon Blackshear (135.5lbs)
    • Middleweight: Tresean Gore (186lbs) vs. Antonio TrĆ³coli (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
  • Cody Garbrandt Withdraws Days Out From UFC Vegas 100 Return

    Cody Garbrandt Withdraws Days Out From UFC Vegas 100 Return

    The 100th UFC Fight Night card to take place at the Apex has lost its former champion, with Cody Garbrandt forced out due to undisclosed reasons.

    Garbrandt (14-6), who rose to the bantamweight throne as an undefeated fighter with a memorable performance against Dominick Cruz back in 2016, has made the walk once in 2024 thus far.

    After having his hand raised in two straight over Trevin Jones and Brian Kelleher for his first win streak in seven years, “No Love’s” planned surge back to the top was once again stalled when he fell via submission to Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC 300 this past April.

    The Ohio native was looking to rebound outside the rankings this weekend in Las Vegas, where he was scheduled to do battle with the heavy-hitting Miles Johns in the UFC Vegas 100 co-main event.

    Per MMA reporter Cole Shelton, however, the ex-bantamweight champ has withdrawn days out from the Apex-held event. The reason for his pull-out has not yet been disclosed.

    The hope is for Johns (15-2, 1 NC) to remain on the card and face a late-notice replacement opponent, if the promotion is able to find one.

    The 30-year-old was looking to make it three wins out of three outings this year at the expense of Garbrandt. After his one appearance in 2023 saw a victory overturned when he tested positive for the banned substance turinabol, “Chapo” has bounced back with consecutive unanimous decision wins over Cody Gibson and Douglas Silva de Andrade in 2024.

    With the cancellation of Garbrandt vs. Johns, the current fights expected to take place at this weekend’s UFC Fight Night at the Apex are as follows:

    Main Card:

    • Neil Magny vs. Carlos Prates (welterweight main event)
    • Gerald Meerschaert vs. Reinier de Ridder (middleweight)
    • Ricky Turcios vs. Benardo Sopaj (bantamweight)
    • Luana Pinheiro vs. Gillian Robertson (women’s strawweight)
    • Mansur Abdul-Malik vs. Dusko Todorović (middleweight)

    Preliminary Card:

    • Karolina Kowalkiewicz vs. Denise Gomes (women’s strawweight)
    • Gaston BolaƱos vs. Cortavious Romious (bantamweight)
    • Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos vs. Zachary Scroggin (welterweight)
    • Matthew Semelsberger vs. Charles Radtke (welterweight)
    • Cody Stamann vs. Da’Mon Blackshear (bantamweight)
    • Tresean Gore vs. Antonio TrĆ³coli (middleweight)
    • Melissa Dixon vs. Klaudia Sygula (women’s bantamweight)